Simple Survival
by Silhouette of a Life
Summary: Where was he, how did he get here? The boy was lost in an empty void with no one else except a white clone of himself. Discontinued, being redone as this version sucks!
1. Waking up

It was a scary thought lingering in his mind, as he awoke. One he never wanted to remember and yet without a doubt a memory he would never forget. What happened that night from the smell of blood and burnt flesh, to the look upon his best friend's face. He recalled darkened skies and the cold tingle as individual rain drops fell upon his skin. Then his mind was empty. It seemed as if these few memories were all he had left.

Though deep down he knew that he once had a home where his existence had meaning to it. Since awakening in here he had forgotten many things about himself. His mind was breaking, his memories dissolving into nothing. Now more then ever he truly understood how troublesome his mind was. One minute he could be reliving moments from his past, the next he was broken searching the depths of his soul for answers as to he was.

No matter how much he tried to remember faces, names, friends, his home it was all gone. It still existed in some part of his conscious but it was fading quickly. Something was tearing, eating, and destroying everything he once held as precious. This word precious seemed to disrupt the unexplainable destruction that was ensuing within. The longer he stressed on this word the more memories that seemed to flood his mind leaving him confused with more unanswered questions. A home, friends, a promise, a battle, and then nothing once again his mind was empty.

What happened? Why was he here? Who was he? What is the purpose for his existence? So many questions that would remain unanswered with his forgotten memories. Then it began, a voice echoing throughout the corridors of his mind. At first it was barely a whisper, but with time all things grow. The same applied here, the taunting and ever judging voice grew and grew, until it was understandable. The boy was weary of the seductive voice. The voice calling, warping contorting to any means it sees fit.

"Do you want to know who you are?" The voice called from the ever present darkness surrounding him.

Sapphire orbs searched high and low through the darkness.

"Show yourself coward!" The boy said as he glanced around worriedly.

"Oh I shall foolish boy, but first tell me something. What is your name?"

The boy felt cold as he tried to remember. 'A name, I had a name once. So why don't I have one anymore? What…' His thought were interrupted as an insane laughter permeated from the shadows.

"Please, you need to help me." The boy stated no longer willing to deal with the problem by himself. Loneliness was the one thing he instinctively knew, he wanted nothing to do with.

"Why would I help someone who doesn't even have a name?" Another fit of laughter followed the voice's question.

A name right, he had forgotten his own name. The boy scratched his head and grinned sheepishly as he felt embarrassed that he couldn't remember something as simple as his name.

"Tell me foolish boy what would you…"

Before the voice could finish the boy cut in. "Do you have a name?"

Several minutes passed, the boy groaned and began tapping his foot out of irritation as the voice had still not replied.

"We hollows do not have names." The voice begrudgingly said stopping the boys infernal tapping. "Now as I was saying, before you interrupted me. Which was very rude by the way you foolish child." There was a grumpy growl coming from the hollow before he continued.

"What are you willing to sacrifice to retrieve your forgotten past?"

"Anything, but what's a hollow?" The boy replied quickly

"Do not strain your miniscule brain, we hollows are nothing more then entities to help guide our masters to the truth." The boy didn't really think he could trust the hollow, but there was no one else here to help him.

"Now I will help you but first." The hollow drawled. "You must come to me child, and give me everything?"

The blond child just scowled, he wasn't sure why but the voice seemed to frighten him. "You're a stranger, didn't anyone ever teach you, about not trusting strangers?"

An animalistic laughter filled the black void of the boy's corrupted mind. It echoed throughout the dark space reaching the very ends of the black world. Even through two large steel doors. The laughter echoed through a sewer looking room with a large gate with the kanji for seal written upon it. Two menacing crimson eyes were torn open by the inhumanly sound. With a feral grin sketched on the giant foxes face, he approached the bars sealing it within.

It seemed like an eternity before the laughter finally ceased.

"To gain the memories of what you once were, you must be willing to trust me child?" The voice once again chuckled when the blonde's eyes widened.

"You can recover my memories?"

The so called Hollow's insane laughter suddenly came to an abrupt stop and was replaced by an odd scratching.

"Yes, but in return you must do something for me." The hollow said cryptically.

The blond just sighed. He knew that this voice was going to want something in return for helping him. Just what did this voice want and could this voice really help him?

"Fine, I'll do anything. Just please, I need to know who I am." The blond pleaded, he didn't care what he wanted he would do it. He was desperate to know that he truly did exist.

As the boy agreed to the hollow's offer the scratching disappeared and was replaced by an immense amount of pressure that was now being brought down upon the blond. The energy bearing down upon him was slowly crushing him. His bones felt as if they would crack at any moment. Nothing seemed to register in his mind accept the unexplainable force slowly compressing him. He couldn't move nothing seemed to work. The shadow world around him was slowly disappearing and corroding into nothing.

He closed his eyes praying for something to stop the searing pain engulfing him. Yet as soon as it started it was gone. His sky blue eyes languidly opened and peered around his new found surroundings. White, everything was white.

"Well, at least I can actually see this time." He said stating his thoughts out loud.

The boy almost fell down when something blurred in his line of vision. Starring down at the dark silhouette connected to him, a bad feeling was consuming him. The fact that for a split second, his own shadow had some how moved on its own was troubling. The confused child didn't understand why this disturbed him so much, it just hadn't felt natural. He forced his body to stand, his sight never wandering away from the only darkness existing within this place.

Then it returned the burning pain that had constricted him before. It tore right through him causing his entire body to go numb. Naruto stumbled before falling to his knees. He screamed hollowly to the endless world of nothing as he twisted and rolled around on the ground. After a few moments the fiery presence died down once again. He lay there not dead but at the same time not alive. Slowly his body's irritable spasms ended, but his body unconsciously continued twitching.

Naruto's eyes opened and he immediately jumped to his feet and got into a pitiful stance. He stood there expecting to be attacked but there was no indication of anyone else within the white world. He managed to register within his mind that he knew this place but as his gaze lingered around the white abyss, the more lost he felt. He didn't know why he was here or for what purpose and he really didn't care.

Without a second thought Naruto walked forth through the white world his eyes full of determination. The only way he was going to get any answers was to venture out and find them on his own. Wandering for hour's maybe even days he didn't know how long he had been in this white hellhole. He was alone but while wandering aimlessly around this prison his memories seemed to just return. The further he ventured the more of his past life he remembered. Like he could recall he used to sleep when he was tired, but that was the problem. He never grew tired.

No matter how far he walked exhaustion didn't exist. So he was always awake, always walking, searching for anything other then this achromatic colour. Naruto's eyes were burning and dull from the sight of just white for such an extended amount of time. He didn't know if his perception could even distinguish colours anymore. He despised this place, though there was no reason why he did. The giant world was unbearable because it was too empty.

Well what the fuck…

The end; there was no where left to go and his spark of hope for reclaiming his memories disappeared. He wanted them back, yet his unwavering determination was faded. There was no drive to fuel him to move forward. No hope in getting his lost memories; he no longer existed.

Finally, after what seemed like days he collapsed completely surrendering to this world. He didn't have the willpower or strength to continue. The blonde just wanted for his life to end so he would no longer have to suffer. The feeling of loneliness was too much for his broken and fragile mind to suffer. His arms began to wrap around himself as he sat hugging his legs tightly as he rocked back in forth.

"Well what's this now?"

Wearily he spread apart his firmly closed eyes. A gasp escaped his lips as he starred shocked at the being that had a similar appearance to his own. Even though they were different there was definitely a striking resemblance between the two.

That is once you look past the fact that the stranger's skin was whitish, where the blonde's was tanned. He wore white clothes with a hint of black. His hair was identical to the blonde's except it that it was white. The biggest resemblance between the two was there eyes. The doppelganger's two circular hues of blue with a black shade caused the boy to shake in fear when there gazes caught each other.

"Impressive that you lasted this long, stubborn bastard"

Naruto glared at the white being menacingly, as he recognized the copy by his voice.

"You son-of-a-bitch," he screamed in his mind. "All of my memories you stole them from me!" The thief just sighed out of annoyance as he listened to the blond. "Give them back, I need them." He pleaded.

"How annoying. I thought by now, your mind would have banished the rest of your memories."

"What…what the hell do you mean?" The boy narrowed his eyes as his clone started giggling.

"Pity you still can't see the truth."

"So tell me." The white being stopped giggling and looked as if he was considering telling the blond.

No, I told you once before didn't I? He said nice and slowly with a smug grin on his face.

The blonde's head was cast down, making his hair shadow his face. "You don't help those without a name."

'Some how you're able to recall your forgotten memories, interesting.' The hollow looked as if he was deep in thought and was simply musing out loud.

"Why are you doing this? Do you find this amusing? To cause someone so much pain."

Yes, you have no idea how long I've suffered because of you. Now it's my turn to exist and your turn to suffer."

"Oi, who the hell do you think you are" His skin was boiling, emotions were trying to convince him to rip this imposter to shreds. Glaring at the grinning clone in front of him the boy finally understood what this copy was after, he wanted to kill him and take control of his body.

Without a second thought, he sprung forward surprising the white copy for a split second. Throwing a punch as he sprinted forth too his clone. The punch was inches away before his wrist was grabbed and he was forcefully pulled forwards. A knee slammed into his abdomen and sent the boy to his knees.

"Pathetic!" The copy spat at the blond. "You actually think all allow you to take control once again. Your body belongs to me now." The whitish man practically hissed as he charged at the boy writhing in pain.

Dulled blue eyes looked up to see a shadow looming over him. Naruto's vision cleared a little for him to see his doppelganger about to strike him down with his claws.

Then something that shocked him to his very core presented itself, loudly.A bestial howl sent a shock wave tearing down the white world. The copy was sent crashing through a white wall and into a wall aligned with pipes.

The blonde watched as his white clone lay there seemingly unconscious. He had to fight back the urge to scream when a red light started polluting the room. It began to tear down the walls, revealing a sewer with many different corridors and pipes. At the moment the blond boy wasn't concerned about where he was, it was who he was with that seemed to bother him.

Naruto gaped at a giant orange fox with two exceedingly big crimson eyes and nine tails. He couldn't help but show his fear for the beast, especially when it spotted him. He gulped as its eyes bore into him almost causing him to faint. He was scared; he knew the Fox could tell, and it didn't help with the gigantic beast grinning like a lunatic. Even though he was scared he couldn't shake the feeling that he was safe with this overly large beast.

"Time to remember." The beast growled before the red light latched onto him and then he saw black.

The giant beast looked over to the prone form of the white doppelganger and his smirk widened. "You were going to destroy my vessel… weren't you?"

The white clone began to stir as he awoke. He looked from side to side until he saw the giant fox staring intently at him.

"Well, this complicates things."

"Indeed."

The clone screamed and struggled to stand as one of the beast's large tails shot forward faster then he could react to. It wrapped around him and dragged his body to the beast itself.

More unearthly screams echoed throughout the area as the red substance surrounding him burned his clothes and flesh. The whitish being looked right into the beast's eyes and dread the crimson orbs that were burning into his mind.

"I see." The fox mumbled, tightening his tail, narrowing his eyes and squeezing the clone harder.

So this was how it was going to end. A giant fox was going to ruin his plans and take control. Great, just great.

The fox continued to gaze into the blue orbs as if he could read the clones mind.

"Well how interesting indeed, hollow." The foxes booming voice echoed as he set his captive down gently.

"Today has got to be my lucky day"

"Actually it's the worst day of your entire existence." Announced the fox before a single claw pierced through the hollow's burnt chest.

The red light slithered from the fox and wrapped securely around the hollow's body. It entered in through the hole burning the hollow's insides. Then a bright red light erupted smothering the room. When the light dissipated the giant fox and hollow were gone. The blond boy still laid twitching as he slept in his pain induced sleep. There was also another figure with red hair that lay a few feet away from the slumbering blond.

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I've gone ahead and revised this chapter. I plan to redo all my earlier chapters as they were god awful.


	2. New beginning

"Give it up!" shouted the Kyuubi influenced Uzumaki Naruto.

"Never… I must gain enough power to complete my revenge! Even if I have to go through you!" yelled Sasuke.

"Then I'll be dragging your shattered body back to Konoha!!" roared Naruto.

"You're all just holding me back…" said Sasuke. "I will become powerful."

Naruto glared over to Sasuke's new monstrous body with his glowing red slit eyes. Sasuke's hair was bright white and very long, his body was pitch black and he had two giant hand like wings coming out of his shoulder blades. Sasuke stared at Naruto with a smirk on his face.

"Just look at what Orochimaru has done to you." Naruto said in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Exactly what he promised." Sasuke replied with his smirk still present on his face.

"Teme!!" growls Naruto as spinning sphere of wind gathered in his palm.

"This is the last time you'll get in my way dobe." Sasuke said calmly as his hand exploded with lightning. Jumping in the air, the two began their attack on the other. As the distance closed between them, they pushed their attacks in front of themselves, ready to strike.

"**CHIDORI!"**

"**RASENGAN!"**

These two words rang out from the Valley of The End, resulting in a catastrophic explosion of a strange purple chakra. After a minute or so, a blood curdling scream echoed through out the valley. The copy-cat ninja Hatake Kakashi almost lost his footing on a branch from the terrifying scream.

"_Naruto hang on I'm coming." _Kakashi thought franticly as he jumped from tree to tree, doubling his speed.

Naruto spat up more blood as he tried to hold the wound near his chest, that Sasuke had inflicted upon him with his Chidori.  
"_Is… this rea... Am…. I …going t..to die…here?." _Naruto thought weakly. Meanwhile

Sasuke was staring intently at the wound he had inflicted upon his best friend.

"Dobe, you should've given up on me." Sasuke whispered.

Naruto just stared into the red Sharingan eyes and said nothing as his own eye sight started to blur and he slowly began to slip into unconsciousness. After a moment Sasuke twisted his hand and another scream was brought forth from the now conscious blond.

"As long as I breathe… I'll never…give up." Naruto stated defiantly.

Sasuke gazed into the blondes cerulean orbs. "Then I guess this is the end. Thank you Naruto." Sasuke said softly as his hand was covered in lightning once again.

"_I..I'm sorry.. I fai..led..every..one." _Were Naruto's last thought's before a hand was plunged through his chest.

* * *

Kakashi came bursting through the forest at an alarming speed. He immediately spotted Naruto's prone form on the ground surrounded in a puddle of blood.

"_Naruto" _He whispered as his slowly approached the said boy.  
"_Damn it, not again. Why… why do I always fail them, my team, my friends." _Tears began to form in his eyes, but not one fell as the jounin stared at the disfigured body of Uzumaki Naruto. "_Just like Obito, I was too weak to protect him. _

Sasuke frowned as he looked down at the water, staring intently at his own eyes. He started chuckling nervously as the reflection on the water revealed his red sharingan eyes with still only three commas.

_Was it worth it? To sacrifice the only piece of his humanity that he possessed for a false hope of gaining power. Wait…Of course! What was he thinking? He would do what ever was required to fulfill his revenge. Even if he had to kill the only person he had allowed into his heart since that day. _Sasuke let a bitter smirk adorn his face, as Itachi's words from that night finally made sense to him. To gain power one must first destroy all that they hold precious to truly wield the ultimate power the Mangekyo Sharingan. Nothing must hold them back. All bonds are meaningless hindrances that only distract people. If no bonds existed if all connections were severed. Then nothing would restrain him from his ultimate goal. There was only room in his heart for one bond. That bond which was filled with hatred for his brother.

Sasuke started to feel a tingling sensation in the back of his eyes. Out of instinct, his eyes drifted back to his reflection upon the water.  
A dark, maniacal laugh echoed through the Valley of the End. Uchiha Sasuke wore an insane grin on his face as he gazed upon his newly shaped eyes. The normal Tomoe seals were replaced by one spinning pinwheel in each eye.

While observing this new development, Sasuke barely noticed his former Sensei mourning over his friend's dead body. He spared a quick glance towards the jounin only for a brief moment, before his gaze fluttered back to his pride and joy of being an Uchiha.

"Finally with this power Itachi will die. First I need to test my power." He turned fully around and spotted his Sensei approaching. "You will be my test dummy. Through you I will learn the limit of my powers."

His former Sensei's steely gaze never faltered as he stared the Uchiha down.

"I'm not sorry that I ever trained you Sasuke…I am sorry that I did not see the insanity within you. Most of all, I'm sorry that I" said Kakashi as he tore his eyes away from the boy in front of him. Looking at the motionless body of his Sensei's son, Kakashi continued to keep his eyes fixed on the prone blond. "failed another of my friends."

Sasuke nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "He was a failure and will always be one."  
The masked Jounin glared at the smirking boy, before he sprung to action.

Sasuke stood unmoving even as his opponent drew closer. He stood still with his eyes closed. Just as Kakashi was upon him and prepared to strike him down his eyes opened and the attack ceased. The Valley of the End was silent as both combatants didn't move for several minutes.

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A lone figure lay sleeping on white sands in a world of endless night. The cold light from the crescent moon reflected upon the white desert of Hueco Mondo. Scathing winds howled across the empty world and the figure began to stir from his slumber. Crimson eyes opened to the welcoming darkness enveloping the desert. An orange fox rose from the sands of which it once laid. The Fox had one orange tail with a crimson tip unconsciously swaying back and forth. The fox wore an ebony mask with whisker like orange markings going across its cheeks and a swirl above its right eye. The beast pushed itself to stand upright, even with a slight pressure bearing down on its body. The fox realized that something wasn't right when it fell forwards landing on the cold sand.

He noticed that he had paws instead of hands.

"Wait…fur, paws, claws…" The fox paused as it twisted its neck to look back at the appendage by its own will was swinging from side to side. "Tail check…arrrrggghhhhhhhhh."  
The fox let out an inhumanly roar as it started stomping around smashing its paws into the sand.

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell happened to me?!" The fox's thoughts drifted back to what he could recall about himself. A name, Uzumaki Naruto, he assumed that was what he was once called. The other thing the hollow could recall was his death. He remembered his best friend's hand through his chest. Naruto's head started to spin as images flashed through his mind. A white clone had tried to kill him even after he had already been murdered. He glanced worriedly around himself as a distant screeching echoed throughout the achromatic desert. If it was one thing that he was sure of, it was that he needed to find a place of shelter where he could hide until he discovered what exactly was going on.

'_Huh… this is gonna take a while' _the hollow thought as he looked around seeing desert surrounding him on all sides. "At least this place isn't overly populated." Naruto said aloud to himself before he started walking to an unknown location.

"Sooo Bored." Naruto whined as he forced himself to continue his search for hiding. "Why God why? Why is there never anything fun to do?" Naruto whined as he sat down upon a white boulder of Hueco Mondo and pouted. "I swear if I don't see something other then white I'll go insane."

**"If you awaken me again with your infernal whining I will make sure you don't exist long enough to lose your remaining sanity." **Naruto flinched at the seemingly strong presence howling in the back of his mind.

"Who the hell are you, and where are you.?" He heard the bestial voice from before sigh. He could only guess he should know who was threatening him.

"**I am the darkness that has guided and protected you for many years now child. My name is Kyuubi**,** the nine tailed fox and strongest of all the Biju's." **The demon lord pronounced in a strong, dignified, obnoxious tone.

Images flashed before him again these ones different from the others. A monstrous fox faced off against an entire army of Ninja's. Then a giant toad with a blond man riding atop of the large amphibian approached the fox. A bright light consumed the blond man and the fox and all that remained was a child.

"Kyuubi…" He stood back up and tried to search for the familiar presence he had sensed when the beast had contacted him before. "Kyuubi" He said again to see if he could contact the demon inside.

"KYUUBI!" He said particularly loudly, as the fox was getting on his nerves.

"**What!" **Normally a deity would have a much more composed attitude, but the Demon lord had done some miraculous things in the last past few hours and needed its rest.

Naruto was forced to grab his head by the Kyuubi's booming voice. Shaking his hand to clear his mind he once again searched for the mental connection.

"I need to know what"

"**I will explain when you find a sanctuary for us to talk in private."**

Then the giant demon fell silent and left a lost and confused hollow in a foreign land with no idea which direction to go in. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and just started walking forwards hoping it wouldn't take long to find shelter.

Time seemed to be non-existent to Naruto as he ventured around the virtually empty world. So far in his search for a place to rest, he had discovered white sand, white rocks and finally white trees. He traced his claws down the bone like mask adorning his face. He stopped when his claws did not hit flesh but something hard. He brought his paw to his face and pressed it against the cold mask obscuring his face. "I see." With a crazy glint in his eyes Naruto got an idea and tried to rip off his mask. Instantly his legs buckled and he feel to his knees screaming as a painful sting ran though his entire body the minute his mask had started to lift from his face. He panted heavily as he tried to regain his bearings. '_Okay removing of the mask equals pain._' He thought as he clenched the sand within his claws.

"That was not a wise think to do little hollow." said a ghastly voice that seemed to come from behind Naruto.

Turning around Naruto was greeted with the sight of a giant snake like creature with a plate on its head and a pair of horns.

"If you were to do something foolish like that, then you would purify my dinner little hollow." The snake said in a venomously sweet voice.

Naruto's curiosity was piqued and he stared down the seemingly unaffected hollow. "So what exactly would happen if I was that foolish?"

"Well you would die." The snake said as it unconsciously licked its mask.

Naruto scoffed at the stupidity of this creature. _'How is that possible If I'm already dead? Is it even plausible to die again in the afterlife?' _Naruto had to end his inner thoughts as he noticed the hollow had disappeared.

"Damn it, where the hell did he run off to?"

He was once again cut off as the ground beneath him exploded, sending sand flying every where. Still not used to his new body, Naruto just barely managed to avoid being eaten by the giant Snake hollow on instinct alone. "Impressive little hollow, I guess my assumptions about you were incorrect." Naruto frowned at the thought of being underestimated.

"But it does not matter how powerful you are little hollow, cause you're my prey." He said as he swung his tail and began sweeping through the sand. Naruto managed to latch onto the snake's tail just after the thing slammed into him. The snake hissed violently as claws pierced through its scales. Naruto dug his claws deeper as the hollow tried to knock him off by swinging his tail back and forth. Pulling his claws back several scales were removed from the snake's body. Without even thinking his decision over his claws were plunged deep into the snakes unprotected flesh. The snake shrieked and Naruto was left wondering if he had made a stupid decision. His thoughts were confirmed when he was slammed into the ground. The snake ruthlessly began slamming its tail down crushing the other hollow against the sand. When the snake stopped beating the fox to a bloody smear it and began eyeing him with hunger glowing in its eyes. The snake licked its mask once again before it shot forward with it mouth open and fangs bared.

Naruto had reached his limit. His body felt weak and he could barely move. He looked at the beast with its disgusting pink tongue shooting out at him. "Not even in death can I find peace." He thought sadly as he closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

"**Pathetic, how many times must I save you boy."**

Naruto smirked at the loud voice in the back of his mind. "So is this finally the end."

"**No, it's a new beginning."**

Naruto's paws shook in fury as he felt a stirring in his stomach that seemed welcomed at the moment.

The snake looked on fascinated as a red aura began to slowly emanate from his prey's body. This quickly turned to horror as the aura emitting from its meal flared and burned through the hollows tongue that had wrapped itself around the fox.

The hollow released a shrilled scream as its tongue was quickly reduced to ash. Naruto quickly regained his bearings as he felt rejuvenated by the familiar energy coursing through him. His gaze focused on the suffering snake ramming its head into the ground while letting out a loud long cry of pain. After a while the snake seemed to calm down and glared at the fox that had inflicted such an injury upon it.

"See what happens when you underestimate your opponent?" Naruto taunted the mighty hollow.

The snake was furious that this puny hollow was able to cause him such excruciating pain. In a deep inhumanly sound the snake snarled darkly at Naruto as it rushed forward.  
Naruto sighed as all sanity in the snake evaporated as it wildly charged forward.

"Let's end this." With a feral howl, Naruto forced his new energy into his arms. The red coloured energy bubbled from the foxes arms before it shot forward, extending like claws that wrapped around the other hollow and dug deep into the hollows flesh. With a bit of concentration and a little force Naruto squeezed his hands together. Which quickly compressed the giant snake hollow into a tiny ball. As he released his hands and the red energy disappeared tiny orbs began to emerge from the hollows charred ashes that drifted with the wind. Naruto collapsed as the power that was fueling him was drained. He looked back before unconsciousness claimed him to see the orbs slowly merge with his body.

Brown eyes displayed surprise and awe as they intently watched the fox like hollow laying unconscious on the ground. "Interesting." Then the silhouette disappeared leaving no trace that it ever existed.

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_**

A small boy was sitting in the middle of a village, his arms securely wrapped around his legs. He sat there not moving and barely breathing. He was afraid. So fearful of what might happen if he drew attention to himself. Without a doubt in his mind he knew they would do what they always did to him. So here he was bruised and broken sitting in the middle of his beloved village, with everyone around him celebrating. A whimper escaped his lips and all eyes fell upon him. As the villagers finally took notice his presence, they began to yell obscenities while they searched for objects they could throw at him. He quickly wiped his cheek with his forearm. He remembered what happened the last time he had cried in front of his attackers. That was the last time he ever came outside during the night.

The boy was restless that night. After waking up from a nightmare in a cold sweat he decided to go for a stroll around his village to clear his mind. He had always enjoyed the nice gentle breeze that accompanied the night sky. Whenever he felt down or depressed the darkness of the night would always lift his spirit.

Some drunken villagers who were heading home from a long night of partying had discovered the demon walking around there village like it owned the place. Naturally they would never do anything but scowl and curse the damn disease, but too much alcohol leads people to do things that they would never do in this life or the next. So they cornered the poor 6 year old child and beat him to an inch of his life. When they were done they spat on him and turned to leave, but stopped when they heard muffled sobs. The villagers hadn't shone any sympathy to the poor writhing child that night. They covered him in oil and lit him ablaze.

That was the closest the boy had ever brushed with death and it would have scarred the boy. If it wasn't for Old man Hokage, all that would have remained was an empty emotionless shell of a child.

The feeling of loneliness had warped and contorted the boy into an almost hollow being. His entire life only the Hokage made his life bearable if not enjoyable at times. From the moment he could walk he was kicked out of the orphanage and onto the streets to fend for himself. The villagers saw this as a way to rid themselves of the demon vessel without breaking the Third's law. Unfortunately he had survived and by the age of six the people of the village knew the only way to dispose of a demon was by there own hands. Since then the child had to hide at night and sleep during the day.

These were the reasons he never denied or complained when the villagers took there aggression out against him. Any act of self pity would only lead to more damage, more hate directed towards him. So he sat there even as a silhouette loomed over the corrupted village. The violet slitted eyes filled with hatred and contempt went unnoticed by the small writhing child, as he remained in his feeble position.

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_An:_ I had to fix some minor problems with this chapter but fear not for it has returned. This chapter my seem confusing at parts but all will be explained soon...I think. I am not going to reveal any secrets yet, but someone's going to be making a big appearance next chapter, someone everyone loves and adores.

On a side note, I if your ever wondering about my progress or anything of the sort look at my profile as I update it frequently. Please read and review as this is my first attempt at a bleach fic, so suggestions are appreciated. Also I am not completely motivated to continue this story just yet and it's actually only the few reviews I received that inspired me enough to write this chapter.


	3. Space For This

"_From the void, I am born into wave and particle _

_In the uncreative eye, emerging oracle"_

_Cynic - Integral Birth _

_Chapter 3: Space for this_

He was floating, drifting around a virtually empty abyss. He couldn't see, his vision swarmed off black. Body felt weightless, it didn't seem to exist. A small breeze sent a chill up his spine as the blackness slowly started to change, it began to shape into something else. The small breeze was gradually gathering speed. Stronger the wind became the more his vision was beginning to decipher what was around him. After a few minutes the wind disappeared without any evidence of it ever being there. Naruto parted his eyes finally allowing them to see the world around him.

As his eyes took in the sight of his home, his village, Konohagakure no sato. A gasp fell from his lips at the breath taking view. From the very view he knew exactly where he was standing. In his life he had spent much of his time atop of the most powerful and famous ninja's stone head, The Yondaime. A distinct whistling brought the blondes attention from the stone face below him and to the village where leaves were being thrown mercilessly by the howling winds below. A strong gust of wind blew the boy's spiky hair into his eyes momentarily blocking his vision. As the wind came to an abrupt stop his golden locks returned to there gravity defying position.

Tears began to freely fall down his unblemished face as he faced his home. Fire, every where fire was consuming his home his sanctuary.

He could still remember all the times he spent with the old man he considered a grandfather. The only person that ever let him feel like he existed and belonged in this world. He was the boy's guardian and protector, but beyond the duties of a Hokage he was a friend. His only friend in the village before he met Konohamaru.

The cheerful boy who wanted recognition as being more then just the honourable grandson of the third Hokage. After that day he had made many friends and had gotten the respect of some of the villagers for his courage and love for there home. That all changed the day when the third died. The Professor Sandaime was his pillar of strength. Throughout his life he would save him when he wanted nothing more then to give up, to lay his head down and simply fall asleep for eternity, but on those particular days the old man would show up and spark his determination. Without him the blond would have died many years ago, before he made friends before he got the chance to truly live.

But he had died, his best friend had cut there bonds and dealt the final blow that purged him from the realm of the living. Uchiha Sasuke, betrayed a village that practically worshipped his pathetic brooding ass, for a manipulating snake that only desired him for the cursed Uchiha bloodline, the Sharingan.

Naruto didn't know when he had fallen to his knees but he found himself stuck unable to move. His entire being was screaming at him pleading him to go and save his burning village, but his body did not respond to his commands. More tears streamed down his cheeks as he stared on with horror at his burnt village. Weakness was slowly invading his mind as he knew that he had failed everyone he loved and cherished. He knew it was over, with his death he had let so many down. Just the very thought of seeing his most precious people standing over his lifeless form with silky tears drifting from there eyes was enough to increase his sobbing even more.

"The power you seek, to protect those that you deem as precious." His head darted from left to right trying in vain to find the source of the voice echoing in his head. "I posses such power child."

The blonde snorted at the voice ranting about power. "Yeah, yeah I've heard it all before….If I wasn't already dead I would almost have guessed that you were Orochimaru."

Naruto almost snorted again when the voice did not respond. Again the insecurity of weakness consumed him as he knew if it was Orochimaru then he was as good as dead. Hell even Konohamaru could probably kill him as he still could not seem to will his body to move. His eyes clouded over with sadness as his memories reminded him that he was already dead. Then who was talking to him? Maybe it is that damn white clone again. Naruto gulped as he heard footsteps coming his way. Fearfully he turned around when the footsteps stopped right behind him. Shock was apparent on his whiskered face as he took in the sight of a goddess with burning crimson hair. She was beautiful her body was slim but muscular and her face, oh god she was the perfect image of beauty.

The breath was forced out of his body as a extremely powerful punch connected with his abdomen. He looked back at the dubbed goddess only to see hateful seething violet eyes narrowed at him. He gulped again and blinked. When his eyes opened he was greeted with a foot smashing into the side of his face. The pain engulfed his body only for a few seconds, before he felt his body was falling. It only took a second for his mind to realise that he was thrown from the monument. Taking one last look at his attacker, instead of seeing those hateful eyes again there was nothing but caring and maybe even loving emerald orbs looking down upon his falling body. It seemed like an eternity he starred into this women's warming eyes before darkness consumed him.

* * *

Naruto sprung up from his sleeping position and immediately wished that he hadn't. His entire face and chest were burning. 'What the fuck' Thought Naruto. 'first time I've ever been hurt in a dream.' He unconsciously rubbed his bruised jaw as he thought back to his dream and that crimson haired women who had attacked him. Even though he had never seen her before he felt a kind of warmth coming from her. It left him with a feeling he had never experienced before. As soon as it had come it was gone and replaced with the burning sting from where he had been hit.

Naruto pulled himself up so he was leaning against a cave wall. The moment he steadied his thoughts and he calmed his erratic breathing he was able to calm himself enough to think rationally. That's when he finally noticed he was no longer where he last remembered being. "I must have impressed someone if I'm still alive eh?" He remarked to himself aloud.

"Indeed." Naruto's eyes widened as he wasn't expecting a response. Ocean eyes gradually turned to another one of those strange creatures wearing the masks. Except this one looked like a centuar with giant horns. "Tis the only reason you still exist, Fox." Naruto could tell just from the way the hollow spoke it was a prideful creature and it was a female, or so he things. "Soooo… do you have anything to eat." Said the fox while he scratched the back of his mane.

Nel tu just stared at the strange fox like hollow. She had never seen anything like him before. He acted more like a human then a hollow. All hollows forget there former selves when they die and transform into the creatures of the spirit world. Yet this one didn't act like any of the others. He was not bloodthirsty or violent. Then there was the fact that he was orange. Why the hell was he a different color.? In all her years of living in Hueco Mondo not once had she seen a hollow that just arrived that wasn't just plain stark white. This fact infuriated her as it made her feel inferior to this lowly fox who by the looks of things had just died. Truthfully looking at the hollow now she had no idea why she had saved him. Maybe it was because of the powerful aura he emitted or maybe it was the strange abilities he had used to destroy that pesky snake. She wasn't completely sure why she did not just leave him there where he had collapsed. She just knew that no one deserved to die after just winning a life or death battle against a very powerful adjuchas class hollow.

"HELLO, you in there?" Nel Tu was snapped out of her thoughts as the pesky fox waved his hand back in forth in front of her face. Using as much power as she could summon she gently smacked his hand away. "I see you don't understand the concept of manners Fox." Naruto was a little taken back by the venom in the hollow's voice but said nothing of it as he held his bruised hand. As he had learned the hard way many times 'you do not interrupt a female while she is ranting'

"It would be wise to show proper respect and adequate in front of your superiors Fox." Nel Tu herself was a little shocked by the way she was acting in front of this measly lower class hollow. It just seemed the simplest of things that this hollow did infuriated her. This disturbed her deeply as she prided herself on being a very patient and understanding pers.. Hollow. 'Might as well show him how to hunt' Releasing a groan Nel turned back to her guest

"Come and we shall get you your food." She glared hatefully at the Fox as she realised he was not even standing or paying attention to her. Nel noted he seemed to be meditating, but by the way his facial expressions kept changing it looked as if he was engaged in a heated conversation with another being.

* * *

"Oi, furball you got a shit load of explaining to do." The fox in question could only sigh at the stupidity of its vessel.

"**Idiot you really need to stop shouting, before I render you unable to do so.**" The blond just snorted as he admired the new surroundings. Although they were still in a sewer with obviously water and pipes. There was no longer a giant cage or a seal keeping the Kyuubi separate from himself. No now it was just a large room that had a red haired clone of himself, with extremely long fangs and crimson stained clothes in place of his bright orange. 'Well all be damned' Thought Naruto as he stared in amazement at his right hand with the leaf tattoo on the back. He was a human again. Not an ugly orange fox, but a normal boy. Well as normal as you could be with whisker marks and a hideous orange jumpsuit.

"**In here your image reflects off your soul boy**." Drawled the Kyuubi as he knew exactly what the blond was thinking. Naruto almost didn't hear the nine tails as he was absolutely stunned by his appearance Staring at his own reflection off the sewage water. It wasn't the fact that he was human that surprised him anymore. No he was more concerned with the fact that he had grown about foot in height and his body no longer had any fat. Oh and his hair hung below his shoulders.

"**Five hundred and forty-five days have passed, since you got us killed...worthless child**." spat the Kyuubi once again knowing what was going through his head. As if just noticing the Kyuubi, the blond turned and took in the sight of the fox or lack of demon fox."Before you start running around screaming about this unfortunately permanent form of mine, I'll explain instead?"

"How do you keep doing that."

"**Why should I enlightened you on such facts. When it's much more entertaining this way."** Replied the Kyuubi.** "None of that now boy…I'm serious, stop that…I swear if you don't stop…….FINE YOU INSOLENT WHELP, I WILL TELL YOU ALL THAT YOU WISH TO KNOW BUT YOU WILL CEASE THAT IMMEDIATELY**."

The puppy dog eyes that Naruto had been sporting instantly replaced themselves with a sly grin. "Who would have thought that the big bad demon Kyuubi is such a sissy."

Naruto's brain only registered two things that he had been hit and that it hurt a lot. "**You will learn some respect while in my presence child**." Snarled the Kyuubi. "**Remember my vessel I am no longer trapped**." Naruto couldn't help but show some fear as he listened to the demon fox. The Kyuubi could only smirk at the boy's expression.

"**Come you must have noticed the lack of bars boy**."

Kyuubi's booming laughter echoed of the walls as Naruto struggled to escape from his grasp.

"**Tch, tch**." Muttered the Kyuubi as he waved his finger in front of Naruto. "**You'd be dead already if I desired it so boy**."

"Then why?" Choked out Naruto

"**Why…isn't it obvious you interest me, oh and there is the fact that the shinigami would come for my soul if it was ever free**." The Kyuubi paused and looked straight at Naruto with an emotionless expression. "**Since I was sealed inside of you**." Here the fox stopped and pointed at Naruto. "**I have been marked by the shinigami. If I was ever to be free on my own will, he would come to collect what belongs to him**."

Kyuubi none too gently released the boy in his grasp and let him fall down to the flooded floor. "**So as it is we are stuck with each other till the end of eternity it would seem**." Kyuubi's grin returned full force as he stared at Naruto "**Good thing I have more than enough time to shape you into something worthy of my presence….my vessel**."

Naruto didn't know why but seeing the Kyuubi grinning like he had just been released and killed every civilian of Konoha quite possibly seemed to be the scariest thing he had ever seen. Knowing this he was also unsure of why he was mirroring that same expression. Perhaps it was just his nature to be a cheerful person. No matter how he does it, if he can make someone happy then he's just as joyful. Ever so slowly Naruto pulled himself from off the flooded floor.

Growling the Kyuubi patiently waited for his only human companion to organise himself. The foxes snarl turned into a smirk when the boy faced him with a completely lost stare. 'Should I play with him…or just get it over with`

With a sigh the Kyuubi sat down while gesturing Naruto to do the same. "You mean to tell me you waited for me to stand up, just to make me sit down again." Screamed Naruto with killing intent unconsciously leaking from him.

Sighing again the Kyuubi just waved his hand and the blond was lifted into the air by an invisible force before he was thrown through the air. Seeing as how he was already close to the wall to begin with, Naruto quickly impacted against the wall for a second time.

Naruto bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from screaming out in pain. But he couldn't prevent the gasp of air leaving him as he crashed to the floor. Ignoring his sore body Naruto forced himself to stand up with the last of his withering strength. So as he stared glaring at his attacker he failed to realize the smirk on the foxes face or the finger the demon was pointing up towards the spot he had hit the wall. Because of this a large piece of debris fell on top of the blondes head. With a thud the blonde fell on his rump, while gingerly rubbing the bump on his head.

"**Seeing as you've finally gotten comfy we can begin**." Said the red haired demon.

"**Before we begin I need to have your consent**." Naruto was about to voice his confusion, but the Kyuubi cut him off. "**In order for you to learn all that of which I have to teach, I must have your permission to continue. If you do not wish to go any further just say so.**" Taking his silence as a 'yes' The Kyuubi hopped to his feet and stared directly at the still sitting blonde.

"**It's going to be painful child, but it is necessary for our survival**." At these words the Kyuubi quickly closed the distance between him and Naruto. The blonde lifted his head up to stare into the crimson silted eyes of the youkai king. Once there gazes met the fox moved the last few inches that separated them and snapped his jaws down onto the blondes neck. Naruto screamed out in pain as he squirmed on the flooded floor of his mind. His hands clenched tightly against the wound on his neck, in an attempt to stop the blood flow. Blackness was invading his senses, as his eyes constantly opened and closed in a fruitless struggle to stay conscious. Naruto's eyes snapped over to the laughing fox hovering over him. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he directed one of the most hateful glares he could muster at the traitorous fox.

"**Come now there is no need for feeling betrayed, this is necessary boy. In the end you will thank me, for now your story can truly begin**." As his eyes closed for the final time, the last sight he saw was the Kyuubi giving him a toothy grin with his fresh blood flowing down the youkai's face**.**

* * *

To everyone who actually reads this story...I'm sorry. What am I sorry for? I'm sorry for taking so long to write this. Now that I finally settled in and withered the brute of the storm known as life. I'll be able to update more often. Oh and thanks for reading and please review. Also the song titles at the top is just the band that I was listening to, while writing this.

I'm only going to ask this once...I am in need of a new beta for my previous one is to busy now a days so If anyone is interested then send me a pm.

P.S (Everything gets all screwed up when I Upload documents. If anyone knows how to stop this from happening, it would be greatly appreciated)


	4. Face To Face

"My mind is demented, my soul is taken

As the flame is demented by the wind and rain

As the earth is shaken by an earthquake

My heart has accepted, what my eyes could never have believed"

_Becoming the Archetype - Self Existent _

**Chapter 4: Face to Face **

Power, he could feel it flowing through him as he laid on the ground twitching and shaking as more power coursed through him. It was spreading like a virus tainting his body, mind, and spirit. After the bastard fox had bit him, he had been changing. His chakra or spiritual energy was changing it was growing, it was becoming like the Kyuubi's. Throughout his entire body he could feel his old coils being burned away by this new substance. Even though he was unconscious he could feel every bit of pain as his body was basically being cleaned to support this new energy. Oh he was going to let that bastard have it when he awoke, even in slumber he was planning on how to repay the fox for his gift.

* * *

Kyuubi yawned for the sixth time since the procedure had begun. So here was the strongest of the nine bijuu sitting on his vessel's stomach patiently monitoring his progress. To make sure nothing went wrong. With his part out of the way he was bored. A yawn once again broke the silence that permeated through the empty sewer.

"I swear boy, when you awake I'm going to kill you." The Kyuubi whispered while he pulled on said boy's cheeks. With a huff the fox lifted himself up off the withering body beneath him. "Your just no fun right now you know." Knowing no one could hear or see him, Kyuubi the single most powerful demon ever pouted. Kyuubi stared at the blonde for what seemed like hours, while wearing the same expression. Until his hearing picked up the distinct sound of laughter.

Following the sound of the tiny voice that was echoing off the walls. He gradually made his way away from the blonde and into the corridor. Still hunting down the source of all the noise, eventual lead the fox to a closed door. It was a thick looking door that was braced with steel plates. The oddest thing about the door was its color; blue. A pale hand wrapped itself around the handle on the odd door. As soon as the Kyuubi touched the door it changed color from blue to red.

With a small creak the door was thrown open and the Kyuubi walked inside. As he looked around the room he noticed certain aspects that made this room special aside from all the others. The room wasn't flooded in fact it had marble floors and freshly painted walls. It no longer had the awful aspects of the other rooms, no rusted pipes or putrid grey stone. Walking deeper into this new area brought the Kyuubi to the very back of the room, where he found what had guided him here.

'_Ahhhh I see now.' _mused the Kyuubi _'This should make things more interesting.'_ His hands gently grazed across the glass like surface of the wall.

But instead of an actual wall being there, it was replaced by a large see through mirror that extended all the way across the wall from left to right. On the other side of this mirror was the small cave Naruto's actual body now rested in. Then there was the other hollow that was laughing as she seemed to be talking to the unconscious orange fox. The fox's own laughter billowed through the flawless room and into the flooded corridors as he tentatively watched the events happening outside of the boy's conscious.

"Well I can honestly say, that things are going to get much more entertaining from here on out."

With that said Kyuubi turned away from the mirror and made his way back to the door. As he passed through the doorway he noticed that his chakra was beginning to leave him. It was being drawn back to wear Naruto's soul was resting. "Here I thought he was going to die before the painful part began." Commented the Kyuubi as he closed the door behind him and a click was the only signal that the door had been locked. He walked at a leisured pace while making his way back through the sewer. So concerned with getting back to his vessel he didn't notice the door turn back to blue. Or the fact that the bottom left corner was turning violet._ (I made this damn obvious so if you don't know what this room is then send me a pm or ask in a review and I'll explain.)_

When the Kyuubi finally reached the area he named the shithole, Naruto was screaming as he splashed through the filthy sewer water scratching and clawing at anything and everything around him. Kyuubi none to surprised by these events simply paced around him while humming a quiet tune. After about a minute or two of the demon still circling the blonde, his humming was gradually getting louder as the screams and growls were starting to lessen in volume and ferocity. Another few seconds and they eventually stopped altogether. Kyuubi continued to hum his pleasant tune until he was crouching in front of the stilled boy. "Be grateful child, I would have gladly watched you suffer through this all. But you see my hearing is most sensitive and with you're high pitched screeches I was more likely to kill you then the transformation your going through. So be grateful for the worst is over… for now." His gaze lingered on the motionless body until he was satisfied with the results of his little experiment. Without a second thought the Kyuubi plopped himself back onto his victims chest to wait out the remainder of the transformation.

* * *

Her horns pierced through a lizards chest while she blocked a charge from the boar hollow behind her by kicking him in the face cracking his mask a bit. Spinning around she tossed the lizard to the other hollow. They collided and both of there masks cracked a little more. Before Nel could finish them off they both retreated out of the cave and disappeared into the night. When she was positive they were gone she resumed her original spot and thoughts before she was attacked.

For the second time in her life she was happy, confused, and afraid all at the same time. Happy that she had saved someone who could be one of her strongest allies. If things went her way, not many would be able to stand up to the two of them. Confused because with every second that passed the once 'pesky fox' seemed to be getting more power out of thin air. Before he had collapsed hollering in pain to the high heavens, his strength while impressive couldn't even touch hers. But now his energy just kept increasing like the very air itself was lending this beast its strength. Soon he would blow pass her in spiritual energy. Though that wasn't what frightened her. Oh no she could still easily defeat him with skill alone. What she feared was the feeling to the energy that he was outputting.

When they had been talking his aura was calm and peaceful. Now however it radiated bloodlust and evil. It's very presence was enough to unsettle her own and bring out some of her more primal instincts. She had immediately crushed them with her own strength, for she refused to be defeated by this beast. Especially when said beast is unconscious and knows not what he is doing. She wanted nothing more then to get away from this foul energy that was affected her, but she knew she could not. While his energy would scare most of the weaker hollows away. The ones stupid or brave enough to seek out the source, would gladly devour him to increase there own strength, like the two she had just encountered.

Now there was a thought that had crossed her mind more then once. For some reason she had almost no desire to even touch him in such a way. Whether it be out of fear or her own pride she did not know. For she had eaten many different beings that were foolish enough to challenge her. All of them had fallen and been added to her own strength. But the fact was she had battled them for dominance, she wouldn't allow herself to do something that was beneath her. So with a sigh she thrust her hand into the ground. Sound of flesh tearing met her ears before a medium sized worm was forced out from the dirt. She barely took a single look at the creature before green flames erupted around it and its energy became hers. With one more sigh she turned back to the very being that was causing her so much trouble. "When you awaken fox, you have a lot of explaining, followed by a personal lesson in manners." Nel mumbled while tearing her eyes away from him and back to the entrance where she could here footsteps.

* * *

Diving to the side Naruto avoided the human sized fox for what seemed like the hundredth time. He quickly pivoted on his left foot and drove his right palm into the beasts under belly as it descended upon him. His attack met success by sending the beast into the opposite wall, but the crimson chakra encasing it burnt his hand. Normally such a thing would not even faze him, but for some reason he wasn't healing. He had learned this the hard way when the fox landed a few nasty blows all across his body earlier. His breathe was coming in short gasps as he waited for the downed beasts next move. He wasn't disappointed when a ferocious growl tore through the silence and an explosion of debris announced the fox's recovery. Ducking he avoided the initial vertical swipe that would have taken his head. He spun once to avoid the follow up strike and then pushed past the fox's defence. A leg swipe brought the fox onto its side where Naruto followed up with a kick to the face powerful enough to send the beast sailing across the terrain.

While catching his breathe again, he was able to take the time and view his surroundings for the first time since the battle had begun. A giant plain of rugged rocks and debris littered the field, the area was surrounded by a circular structure that went all the way around trapping him inside. At a second glance he discovered that he was in the coliseum from the final round of the chunnin exams. The very day when his most precious person had fallen to his traitorous student Orochimaru.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as blood exploded from his stomach as claws pierced through the skin of his belly. Looking down as the blood continued to pour out of him he noticed that his belly and other wounds were healing. Thinking quickly Naruto gripped onto the fox's wrist before he could pull his arm back. He watched as the red chakra seeping off the fox was being greedily consumed by his injury. 'So this fox is just made up by the Kyuubi's chakra. Meaning that I'm battling his very chakra. That's why all my attacks have had no effect.' Coming to a conclusion Naruto dug the claws inside of him deeper and deeper until the fox's arms were gone. Naruto tilted his head slightly back to see if the arms had come out the other side. Letting out the breathe he didn't know he was holding he continued to push the fox deeper inside of himself until the last glow of the vile chakra vanished as the hole in his stomach healed and sealed the energy within him. Naruto waited silently for several moments to make sure there would be no repercussions from his hastily decision.

Whipping sweat off his forehead he crumbled to the ground and chuckled to himself. Soon after his chuckles faded and sobbing replaced them. 'I don't want to be here anymore.' Thought Naruto as the very sight of the arena was bringing back painful memories that he had yet to bury. Then a thought occurred to him if he and the Sandaime had died then he would be able to see the old man again. The one person he considered as a grandfather, would be re-united in death with his favourite blond knuckle headed ninja.

With that thought in mind a smile graced his features for a second before being brutally torn off as his expression twisted and contorted as he tried in vain to hold in the brutal screams begging for release. His hands clenched tightly against the dirt as pain tore through his entire being. The crimson chakra he had forcefully absorbed was pouring out of every pore on his body. He wailed and screamed until every ounce was extracted. A silent whistling echoed all around him and it seemed to calm down the chakra and what was left within his body emptied in one last burst. His body sagged as the last bit of his strength was drained away. Looking up he was surprised to see the red chakra hovering over him. "OH FUC..UGHH" Came the blonde's muffled voice as Kyuubi's chakra wrapped itself around Naruto until every inch of him was covered. It glowed for a few minutes before the energy hardened and created a sort off cocoon surrounding him.

* * *

After taking a moment to check up on Naruto's progress the Kyuubi returned to his nap. Exactly two hours and fifty-three minutes later Naruto's prone form burst into movement as he flung himself up into an advanced taijustu stance, taught to him from Jariya.

"Well how did it go?" Naruto's eyes immediately narrowed as he caught sight of the bastard fox relaxing while he just went through one of the most painful experiences of his life.

"You bastard…you GOD DAMN BASTARD. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I JUST WENT THROUGH…WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH." Naruto's voice gradually grew louder until he was full out screaming.

"I did what was necessary to ensure that we would be fully prepared. Understand this my vessel if we die here there is no other chance. After this we will return to the very thing we were born from; nothing." Explained the Kyuubi.

"Oi ya could've gave me a warning at least." Naruto almost growled when the Kyuubi laughed.

"What and ruin the surprise. I think not. Anyways enough of this idle small talk. There are more pressing matters to discuss at the moment." Naruto stretched before giving the fox his full attention.

"Now I'm sure your aware by now that your power has exponentially increased, yes?" Receiving a nod Kyuubi continued. "To sum up everything that happened…we fused." Kyuubi looked at Naruto to judge his reaction.

"What!!"

"Basically you will absorb all my power and become the nine tailed demon. I have come to terms with being imprisoned here, and I am not ready to die yet and there was not many options left. It was either this or being sent to limbo and I made my decision." Standing up Kyuubi strode from his position to Naruto.

"This mark on your neck signifies you as the next demon king. Though it will be a long time before you reach my level of power boy." Naruto gulped as he took in all this information.

'I..I am..a..de..mon.' Sighing at his vessel's thoughts Kyuubi decided to relieve him off his worries.

"While technically you are a demon, It's your choice in whether you act as one. Trust me you can't even imagined what sort off things come out of being the strongest demon in existence." Naruto stared at the Kyuubi completely mortified.

"You mean are minds aren't going to fuse as well." Watching as relief watched over his vessel's face as he nodded his head, he couldn't help himself but break out into a fit of chuckles.

"No, no boy we will still stay separate it is just my energy that will become yours to command." Naruto's head snapped up as a thought came to him.

"That's why I had to battle against your chakra. To wield it I had to overcome it before it would obey me." The Kyuubi grinned as it seemed that the boy's intelligence had also improved.

"But then why did we appear at the chunnin exam arena, It would have been the same thing if we fought right here." Naruto quirked his head to the side a bit in an unconscious action that expressed he didn't understand.

"Not only do you have to conquer my power itself, you have to overcome your greatest fear. The place you appeared was the one place your soul never wanted to return to." The Kyuubi's grin faltered for a second at his vessel's down right miserable expression.

"Forget about it if you are still alive then you indeed succeeded in the required tasks so let us not dwell on the past. Especially since your saviour is waiting for you to awaken. If I remember correctly." Here the fox paused as he scratched his smooth chin. "she did not seem to happy about being forced to protect you from being devoured while you had a nap."

"Oh yeah I kind of forgot about her." Hand behind his head Naruto smiled sheepishly with his eyes closed. "Ya don't think she'll be mad and hit me do you?"

Kyuubi laughed and waved his hand in front of him. Naruto felt himself being lifted in the air again by the same force that had thrown him earlier. Just before hitting the wall he heard Kyuubi's response. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

As he was expelled from his own conscious Naruto's eyelids languidly opened to reveal blood red eyes, with violet slits.

"AhhhhhhHHHHHH…well that was not fun."

"So you have finally awaken. If it weren't for the amount of power you were emitting I would have assumed you were dead." Naruto quickly jumped to his feet and started backing up away from the fuming hollow.

"NowwaitletsnotdoanythingrashIhaveaperfectlygoodreasonfordriftingofflikethat." Naruto said so quickly Nel didn't understand a single word he said.

"Slower." She commanded.

"I said please wait and allow me to explain before you jump to conclusions." While it wasn't what he had originally said. It seemed more polite then his previous words that had just spewed from his mouth in his nervousness.

"Trust me you have a lot of explaining to do, especially about your transformation. But for now we have to go." Naruto didn't hear what Nel had said after transformation. Looking down at his body he discovered that his fur was not orange anymore.

"Red?" Naruto stared baffled at the blood soaked hair covering him. Until he remembered Kyuubi's words.

'So this must be one of the perks he was talking about eh'

"Yes red, how you managed to change color and gain so much power is beyond me. But come it is not wise that we keep him waiting." Said Nel as she made her way to the entrance. That time Naruto did hear what she said, and it left him with one question in mind.

"Who?"

"Oh…you'll find out shortly. So come we leave." Raising an eyebrow, at her reply Naruto followed none

the less. His interest was peaked and he wanted to meet the being that…this was the moment he discovered

he didn't even know the hollow's name.

"Uhhhmmm…I don't even know your name yet…That is if you have one… you do have one right?" Groaning in frustration Nel turned around and glared hotly at the smiling fox.

"My name is Neliel Tu Oderschvank, you may refer to me as Nel or Nel Tu, we leave now." She added before allowing him to reply.

"Well I'm Uzumaki Naruto nice to meet you Nelt." Hollered Naruto as he chased to catch up with Nel's fast pace.

"What did you call me? My name is Nel you would be wise to remember that." She stated. Naruto was so afraid for his life that he just nodded his head obediently. Nel sighed, rolling her eyes as she took off at a slow jog across the desert.

Nel threw one last glance over her shoulder to make sure this Uzumaki Naruto was following.

* * *

Two blurs passed through a large collection of hollows and kicked up sand as they passed, showering all of them in it. As Nel continued at her slowed pace she had to wonder to herself how exactly Naruto seemed to be so powerful and strong and yet so stupid at the same time. She had figured it was going to take a very long time for them to reach there destination. Since last time she had seen him move was when he was battling the snake and his movements were sluggish and weak. She had assumed he would need time to adjust to running on all fours but after a few minutes of experimenting it seemed to come naturally to him. Which brought up even more questions about the enigma beside her. Shaking her head she set those thoughts aside for when she would interrogate him.

"So have ya lived here long?" Bringing her finger to where her lip would be, Nel Tu appeared to think on the question for a moment before she dropped her hand and picked up her pace without answering his question. In reality she knew exactly how long she had been here for. It was just fun to annoy the fox. Grumbling about annoying girls Naruto sped up to match Nel's.

They travelled in awkward silence as they quickly made there way across the endless desert. Until one very annoying fox couldn't take it anymore

"Are we there yet?" Again Nel had heard his question but choose to ignore him.

"Are we there yet?" Nel knew exactly what he was trying to do and she wasn't about to fall for it.

"Are we there yet?" Some how he had caught up to her and yelled right in her face. "No now shut up." She said as she swiped at him. Naruto laughed the entire time as he back peddled avoiding her swipe.

"How about now?" Nel Tu was pretty sure she was going too strangle her annoying companion if not for the fact that she could see a figure in the distance. "Yes" Said Nel has her speed began to lower. Naruto looked ahead and he too noticed the blurry image of a person standing a few hundred feet away.

As they got closer Naruto could make out that it was a person, a human person to be exact. That was standing in the distance looking directly in there direction as if he were expecting them.

With one final leap Naruto landed in a crouch as he appeared in front of the mystery man. Nel immediately bowed her head. "Aizen-sama." Nel said before lifting her head and standing at attention like a perfect soldier.

"I was starting to wonder if you were coming Nel-chan." said Aizen with a small smile. Naruto stared at Aizen and took in his appearance. He was a handsome man with slick brown hair and glasses. He wore black and white robes and had a blade at his side. As Naruto continued to inspect Aizen he realized that the man's smile was fake and behind his smiling façade was a very ugly and cruel being. If there was one thing Naruto was good at it was masks and his were much better then this human's.

"Ah where are my manners." Aizen said as he stepped pass Nel and approached Naruto. "My name is Sosuke Aizen it is a pleasure to meet you Naruto-kun."

"No the pleasure is all mine Aizen-san." Aizen chuckled softly at the hostility within the hollow's tone. He extended in his hand out in a formal greeting which Naruto hesitantly returned. Naruto almost gasped from the pressure bearing down on his appendage in Aizen's grasp.

"Please I'd rather you address me as Sensei Naruto-kun."

* * *

Well here you all go, a small present for waiting for so long. Since I kind of want to jump right into the canon bleach I'm opening a poll.

Your choices are either

a) I do a timeskip and replay everything that happens in flashbacks. Be about 300 or 400 years in the future

b) I continue with how the stories going and eventually work my way to canon

c) I do a few minor jumps every chapter. So like 50 to 100 years every time

I want you all to decide because you are the ones who read the story so the decision is yours. Because of this poll there won't be any updates until next year. Please R&R and most certainly don't forget to vote.

So everyone have a great holiday and see you all next year.


	5. Can't wait for violence

"_Revoke our dreams of demons_

_To tear the world apart_

_Now that we have our reasons_

_Our holocaust will start."_

_Nothing face - Big fun at the gallows_

**Chapter 5:**** Can't wait for violence**

* * *

A blonde haired man paced swiftly down one of the many halls of Las Noches. His facial expression didn't show it, but one glimpse in his eyes would be enough to have many inhabitants of Hueco Mundo cowering before him and his power. Tanned arms wrapped in a black fabric with maroon strips down the side extended and gently glided along the cool tiles that decorated the walls.

_'Ten more paces, left turn, twenty-four paces, right turn, sixteen paces, right turn.' _The blonde repeated in his head to make sure he was going in the right direction. Many times during his approximately one-hundred nineteen year long stay here he had found himself aimlessly wandering, lost, around these never ending halls. Only after ten years of staying in this compound did he decide that he was tired of getting lost for hours at a time and being late for everything from a simple meeting to his own private lessons.

So every day, well, night actually for the sun was always hiding and never shined in Hueco Mundo, he would search every inch of the confines of his residence, designing a cognitive map of the castle like structure until he could get to where he desired in the shortest amount of time possible.

This process took a good four years since he had many other duties. That didn't matter to him, though, since all he had left was time. In fact, ever since his death his life had improved greatly. No longer was he feared for destruction that another had caused, nor was he hated for such events. Now, power course through him like a raging waterfall, always flowing. If he was feared then it was because of his own strength and his own actions.

Long slender fingers traced the pattern of his own symbol that he had ordered etched into each and every tile. The symbol was a simple spiral that had a triangle at the end, it was the mark of his birthplace; Konoha. All of his garments bore the symbol though they were of varying sizes and colors. Regardless of the fact that he hated most of the inhabitants of his old home there were a few he recognized as family. That fact alone was the reason he refused to let go of the symbol that marked him as Uzumaki Naruto, genin rank shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

'_Twenty-four paces, right turn, thirty-seven paces, left turn, six paces, door to the left.'_ Following the directions laid out in his head, the blonde turned to the left and gripped the handle of a brown wooden door.

His eyes stayed fixed on the door in front of him for a few moments before his gaze wandered to a white door further down at the very end of the hall. The hall way branched off into four directions. East, and west leading else where within las Noches, south going in the direction Naruto himself was now standing. North leading to a dead end where the door in his sight existed. White tone of the door contrasted with the dark hallways surrounding it. It was one of the very few steel doors within Las Noches. Actually it was the second of only two steel doors, the other being his Sensei's. With the other ninety-seven doors having a ordinary wooden frame. The door was plain with nothing but the numbers eleven and nine in red paint placed at the very top above the door.

This was the first room shown to him on his short tour of the compound. It was also the room where he was first introduced to his guide and fellow hollow Ulquiorra. During this rather disgusting introduction to his new home he had learned as much as he needed to know about one of his housemates. Ulquiorra was quiet and only spoke when spoken to, though he responded with simple gestures or quick three worded responses to answer questions directed at him. This room was the only place where the tight lipped hollow had spoken a full sentence. Naruto could still remember those words to this very day.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Why does this door have two numbers, Ulqa?" Ulquiorra made no movement or subtle action or noise that would signify he heard the orange fox that was lazily standing beside him. _

"_Because it is not one room, but two. Both rooms exist beyond this door," Ulquiorra paused and turned to the confused hollow beside him. "and yet neither exist within these very walls." He had barely whispered but Naruto had heard him all the same with his enhanced senses._

_Flashback end_

To this day Naruto had not been allowed to enter this room, nor had anyone else ventured inside. The room beyond the door was mystery to him, one that he vowed to solve.

After that day the blonde had run into the quiet hollow a few times only muttering greetings as they passed. Nothing more and nothing less. Naruto knew from the first time they met, that they would get along just perfectly. For this hollow reminded him of his ex-best friend. _'Sasuke'_ While his murderer rarely came to be part of his thoughts anymore, there were times when the blonde would have an uncontrollable memory lapse or forced memory projection thanks to a certain trickster living within himself.

Speaking of which,_ 'cut it out Kyuubi, or no more hunting for the rest of the month.'_ Naruto knew that Kyuubi was probably pouting and muttering curses under his breath, but he cared not. He was tired of the fox playing games with his mind, for a few seconds of amusement.

Turning the door handle Naruto walked into a room filled with different chairs gathered around a strange circular table baring a map of all the different areas of Hueco Mondo. The table was an ancient item that had just simply always existed within this same room. It displayed each and every being scattered throughout the realm of white sand. No one knew how it did what it did or for that matter how it came to be. Forcing his thoughts not to stray from his reason of being here, he quickly pulled out the chair at the north-eastern part of the map.

"Good evening Aizen-sensei, I hope that it is a reason of the utmost importance for my summoning. I was in the middle of training." Naruto was seated with his eyes closed as he spoke loud and clear, his voice echoing throughout the room. A small chuckle echoed back at him before a veil of darkness dropped revealing Aizen Sosuke's chuckling form.

"As perceptive as ever Naruto-kun." Naruto kept his eyes closed as the chuckling shinigami took his seat at the south end of the table.

"I guess you still haven't accepted that your prized illusions have no effect on me." Aizen's chuckling stopped and he brought his gaze upon his best student.

"Yes…yes, another extraordinary talent of you foxes that I find…oh so fascinating." Naruto wasn't disturbed or affected by his Sensei's comment. Aizen had discovered that the fox existed within him many years ago, during one of their many spars.

"And we all know how you like to experiment with things that have yet to be proven false." Aizen's handsome and devious smirk appeared on his face at the blonde's retort.

"While I would love to explain the greater aspects of my experiments to you Naruto-kun, I suspect you wish to return to your training so I'll make this short and simple." Now that got Naruto to open his eyes and look at his mentor. There had only been one time that Aizen had been serious about situation. Though his appearance didn't show it, Naruto had been around the shinigami long enough to notice that which others did not. Usually it would be him or another hollow that would get them back on track from there bickering, or how Grimmjow had described it 'war of the words.'

"It seems that Seireitei is getting suspicious. I have informed Ulquiorra of these matters as well. Captain level shinigami are now roaming around on earth." Even though he was warning him and probably all of his most loyal followers, Naruto couldn't help but notice the amusement dancing within his sparkling brown orbs.

"There has also been a rumour circulating around Seireitei about a hollow with its fur stained crimson from all of the souls it has devoured. Killing off any shinigami patrolling near the borders of a small forest on the eastern plateau." Naruto rolled his eyes at his Sensei's hidden message.

"So what? Do you expect me to just let them go when they so willingly trespass on my domain?" Aizen shook his head with his right hand caressing his forehead.

"I think a little discretion is all that is needed for your preservation Naruto-kun." His words were saying one thing but his eyes were telling him something completely different.

"So you think that Soul Society are sending their captains to hunt me down then?"

Folding his hands neatly in front of himself Aizen smirked at the blonde. "All I am saying is that if a prey wanders into your web so willingly, make sure you do not do likewise." With that Aizen waved his arm in front of him in a dismissive manner. Following his Sensei's command Naruto briskly arose from his seat and left the room, to return to his evening training.

* * *

Kakashi sighed again as he stood at attention in front of his Sensei in life and death. Minato turned sharply to face Kakashi "Am I boring you Hatake? Perhaps you'd like guard duty of the western wall instead?"

Kakashi stood at attention immediately. "Forgive me taicho." When the copy nin heard giggles erupting from his sensei he levelled a healthy glare at his captain. "Come on now Kakashi, that was funny." Again a sigh came from Kakashi as he put up with his leader's quirks.

"Even when alive you were always such a stiff. What happened to that man who came here crying tears of joy while squeezing the life out of me?"

"He died." Kakashi replied in a serious tone. Kakashi had a wide grin on his face, not that his taicho could see it through his face mask that covered the lower half of his face.

Hearing a strange scratching noise Minato looked up at the ceiling. He only had a second for his face to display the horror he gazed upon before a barrage of water balloons fell from a hole in the ceiling leading all the way out through the roof.

"I think you just revived him taicho." Kakashi laughed at Minato, who was soaking wet from head to toe. Kakashi squeaked as a familiar light gleamed in the corner of his taicho's narrowed right eye. Then the chase began. Kakashi burst out of the third divisions captains office and knocked down the huge amount of documents a fellow reaper was trying to bring in.

Muttering a quick sorry as he passed by, Kakashi used shun-po to leave the immediate area of the third division.

Kakashi smiled to himself as he sat down upon the large walls that surrounded Seireitei. He gazed out at his new home with a contented smile. Even now he was amazed by what came after death. Through-out his entire life he always assumed that when you died you'd either be tortured in hell or live peacefully in heaven. But some how along the way he ended up in the middle. While at peace most of the time, there were times when he had to battle fearsome creatures who wished nothing more then to devour his soul.

Kakashi's smile slipped as a few stray thoughts entered his head. 'Blonde hair, blue eyes, whisker scars, and an orange jumpsuit.' After Kakashi had arrived at Rokungai he was almost immediately drafted to become a shinigami. During his training at the academy he encountered the Yondaime Hokage, his Sensei Minato Namikaze. That day they stayed up long into the night, with Kakashi re-living his death and that of his students.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Lightning crackled and the sound of thousand birds chirping echoed all around as lightning covered Kakashi's right hand. Rushing forward Kakashi stabbed his raikiri forwards aiming for the pale man in front of him. His attack plunged into the man's chest and blood exploded forth and covered Kakashi with its putrid stench. As his attack died down he tried to retract his arm from the dead man's body, but he discovered it wouldn't budge at all._

"_Ku ku ku…did you honestly believe I'd be that easy to defeat Hatake Kakashi, son of Hatake Sakumo."_

_Kakashi turned around in time to see Orochimaru pulling a blade from his throat and handing it to the raven haired boy beside him._

"_Prove your loyalty to me Sasuke-kun and kill the last tie remaining from your village." Said Orochimaru, as he watched Sasuke taking practice swings with his blade._

_Sasuke stopped his motions with the Grasscutter and pointed the tip at his sensei. Kakashi, realizing the danger he was in tried in vain to remove his hand, but found he now had no control of his bodies movements. His muscles were twitching with all the effort he was putting forth to move even his free arm._

"_I see my paralyzing poison is taking effect. Why else do you think I allowed you to even hit a clone of mine Kakashi-kun? I injected that clone with a deadly poison that causes the entire body to seize up in seconds. Soon your heart will even stop beating and you will die with out the anti-vaccine. Ku ku ku...luckily for you Sasuke-kun is willing to put you out of your misery."_

_Orochimaru gave Sasuke a pat on the shoulder and it propelled the genin into action as he sprinted forth to deliver the final blow to end his sensei's ninja career. Through sheer will power alone Kakashi managed to move his left hand to his pouch and firmly grip a couple kunai. The blade entered his chest and punctured his lungs instead of the heart due to Sasuke's inexperience at controlling a blade._

"_GaAAHHHHHH AHHHHHH." Even with a blade sticking out of his chest Kakashi smiled at the sight of his student thrashing around while clutching at the kunai's imbedded into his eyes. Though he was going to die, at the very least he had stopped Konoha's greatest traitor from gaining the Sharingan. So, with a hidden smile copy cat ninja Hatake Kakashi closed his eyes as his lifeless body fell to the forest floor._

_Flashback end_

The next day they had searched high and low looking for Naruto but with no results. Minato was so concerned about his son he went as far as demanding the leader of the Gotei 13 Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai to send out a group of shinigami to find his child. General Yamamoto agreed to his terms and a search party was sent out to find Uzumaki Naruto. Even though Minato was grateful he knew the only reason he had helped in finding his child was because of the yokai within him.

Days went by and there was no sign of Uzumaki Naruto. Both he and his taicho had been depressed for a long time, but one night Minato exclaimed quite loudly, that if his son wasn't here then he had survived and was living a wondrous life as a ninja and a hero in Konoha.

'_That or he attracted an army of hollows because of his furry friend.'_ Of course, Kakashi looked at his conclusion in a different way.

Minato smoothly slid behind Kakashi and trapped him in a head lock before Kakashi sensed his presence. The captain of the third division got a little worried when his sixth seat didn't react or struggle. Releasing his pupil Minato stood beside him while looking in the opposite direction towards Rukongai. "Kakashi, I know he's out there and we will find him eventually. Look on the bright side, at least you got twelve years to spend with him."

Kakashi wrapped his left arm around his taicho's neck to give him a one armed hug. "All we'd have to do is chop your legs in half, cut your hair, draw whiskers on you, and you'd be his spitting image." They both laughed at Kakashi's crude joke. The once Sharingan wielder could fell his taicho's pain and envy. Since he had never even got to spend more then a single hour with his own son.

Distracting himself from his saddened mood Minato turned to Kakashi with a shit eating grin splitting his face. "You know because of your little prank I never did get to give you your mission." Kakashi smiled sheepishly as he slowly backed away from his taicho. Minato's grin seemed to grow larger as he observed his sixth seat's reaction. "Jiraiya just got transferred to the third division."

Kakashi stood there stunned. "But he only joined the second division 10 years ago, I thought you had to be in your chosen division for 25 years before applying for a transfer to a different division." Minato just laughed as he watched Kakashi's dumbfounded look. "It was actually Yoruichi-dono that requested his immediate transfer from the second division." They both smiled at the thought of Jariya trying to spy on the captain of the second division.

"Uh...taicho what exactly was the mission you were sending me on." Snapping out of his memories Minato stared at Kakashi as if he was stupid before he remembered exactly the reason this whole situation had started.

"Oh yeah…You and Jiraiya are on patrol of the eastern plateau. Kakashi you are just on patrol of the borders. You are not permitted to enter the forest under any circumstance." Minato gave Kakashi a brief smile before sighing and leaving via shun-po. No doubt to return to his paperwork, thought Kakashi, before following his example.

* * *

"Nel-chan, I'm so glad your back." Said Naruto as he embraced the centaur hollow in a bear hug. "I was starting to worry about you, you know." Nel just looked at him with a small frown.

"When are you going to teach me how to change into human form." Said Nel in a slightly whinny tone.

"Hm..." Hummed Naruto as he paced in a straight line back and forth. "How about if you can beat me in a spar?"

Naruto closed his fist tightly over Nel's smaller hands. Nel expecting this gripped his wrist with her other hand and pulled him forwards into her awaiting horns. Tilting his head in just the right angle Naruto went through the space in between her horns and brought his knee up for a crucial blow to her face. Nel stumbled back with her head spinning. She got her balance back just in time to catch Naruto's heel from dropping on her shoulder. With a little strength she lifted him over head and slammed him into the ground. Just to make sure he was down for the count she brought her hove up and stomped down on his spine. When she met no resistance and did not hear the sound of bones snapping she grew worried. Just as she realized he was not under her anymore she felt herself falling. Nel's eyes snapped open to find Naruto's grinning visage with his claws an inch from breaking her mask.

"If I'm not mistaken I believe the count is six hundred and forty-nine, to two hundred and seven." Said Naruto to cheerfully. "Not to sound overconfident or anything, but I think you should just give up Nel-chan."

Nel moved quickly and pushed the other hollow back so she was straddling him. "No, I think you should improve on your statistics Naruto-kun." A shiver tingled up Naruto's spine as Nel seductively whispered into his ear.

"I'd loved to see how far the two of you would go, but I don't feel like telling Aizen that the reason we were late was because you two couldn't control your hormones." Nel quickly jumped off of Naruto and glared hatefully at the smirking panther.

"Grimmjow." Said Naruto as he also embraced the white panther in a tight embrace.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too…ugh...now put me down before I tear you to shreds." Grimmjow said as he was finding it difficult to breath.

"Now Aizen has called a meeting and he wants the three of us to be in the central hall in five minutes." Said Grimmjow after catching his breath from Naruto's overpowered hugs.

"After you milady." said Naruto as he dropped to one knee and motioned for Nel to go ahead of them. As Nel walked past Naruto she give him a quick shot to the shoulder before disappearing inside Las Noches.

"I still almost can't believe how much you managed to change her whiskers." Said Grimmjow with a smirk.

Naruto simply just waved off his fellow hollow's comment as he also entered into there home. Chuckling the whole way, Grimmjow followed behind the two love birds.

* * *

"Ah...it is nice to see you all, especially you again Naruto-kun." Said Aizen from atop of his throne. "Please find a seat amongst your brothers and sisters." Looking around there was about thirty different hollows seated amongst different pillars that held up the roof of the grand hall. It was massive 40 yards across with a domed ceiling 40 yards high. The ground was cool and smooth as sand and yet as stuff as steel. Naruto simply stood beside the wall closest to the door. While he enjoyed the company of most of the occupants situated around the room, a few in particular left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

"Well, well…Uzumaki long time no see." A voice whispered tauntingly from beside him. "How is Aizen treating his numberless pet."

"Still a sore loser I see Nnoitra." Said Naruto without turning to the other. The hollow known as Nnoitra hissed a few curses under his breath before switching his gaze from Naruto to the green haired centaur residing near the middle of the room. "Quite a beauty isn't she, I wonder what she'll look like in her next formsss?" Said Nnoitra with a silent hiss at the end. His question was answered by Naruto grabbing him and slamming his snake body against the hard stone wall.

"I wouldn't dare think such thoughts if I were you." Growled Naruto with contempt licking at every word.

"Aren't we just a jealous little kit Uzumaki." Instead of responding Naruto slammed the despicable hollow in his grasp against the wall again indenting it with Nnoitra's form. His hands removed themselves as he allowed the hollow to fall to the ground and slither away.

Naruto laughed nervously as all eyes seemed to be focused solely on him. "Well now that we've had our fun." Said Aizen as he smiled at Naruto. "I believe its time to get this meeting underway." Every hollow switched their sights from Naruto back on to their leader as he spoke.

Naruto found his hands quite interesting when he noticed they changed back into paws. Turning to look at the reflective floor Naruto realized during his little fit he had transformed back to his true form. A hulking 8 foot fox covered in blood red fur with three whiskers on each side of his mask. Concentrating a bit of energy a crimson hue emitted from Naruto as the image of a giant fox shimmered before disappearing altogether. In it's place was a 17 year old blonde male with blue eyes. The only thing that remained from his true form was the three pronounced scars in the shape of whiskers on each cheek. Thinking back on it now he had to thank the Kyuubi greatly for teaching him this little trick.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_**You really are an idiot." **__Sneered the ancient demon lord. __**"I mean a newborn could do this within seconds."**_

_Naruto growled at the fox who, by chance, was not giving him much help or advice. "Well, maybe if you would actually explain to me how do it…then maybe I could." After almost eleven years of trying to change his body so he appeared to be human again with no results Naruto was beginning to lose hope._

"_Lets just face it, it's impossible without you giving me any meaningful tips or advice." Naruto said as his arms fell to his side. Kyuubi just stared evilly at him._

"_**Meaningless advice...Y-You foolish mortal, how dare you speak of my methods of teaching as inferior! I have told you everything needed in knowing how to transform yourself. Just because you are a talent less monkey in no way reflects on my abilities." **__Said the fox furiously. __**"Now stop being a kit and get back to training. I would rather kill us both then have such a weak vessel, you hear me boy?"**__ Mumbling something Naruto grudgingly got back to his training._

"_**I will explain it again in a way you might actually be able to understand." Said Kyuubi mockingly. "Focus your energy and create a small barrier surrounding you."**__ Kyuubi stopped speaking as Naruto focused his energy to form around himself._

"_**Very good… now keep focusing that energy, but at the same time force your remaining energy to compress into the form you desire. Imagine how you want yourself to look and carve your energy into that shape." **__Again Kyuubi paused as Naruto followed his instructions._

"_**Now all that remains is to Simply allow your barrier to fade…no...NO! stop…good. While you release the energy encased around you, you must hold the energy back from overflowing and taking its natural shape."**_

"_But it hurts a helluva a lot." Whimpered Naruto._

"_**Of course it's painful, you fool. What, you didn't think suppressing our power would be easy did you?" **__Shaking his head Kyuubi continued to observe his vessel as the barrier slowly vanished and a human figure replaced that of a kitsune._

"_**Well, its not perfect, but at the least the headache is over."**__ Kyuubi muttered darkly._

"_Alright, what's next?" said a faceless Naruto cheerfully. Although he changed his body to form into that of a human's he forgot to add the extra features; like eyes or a nose_

"_**I will teach you nothing else until you can perform this flawlessly without any thought required."**__ After that Kyuubi cut of there connection and left Naruto to practice by himself for the next twenty one years._

_Flashback end_

* * *

Normally, to learn such an ability would take a normal kitsune anywhere from fifty to a hundred years. However, when you have a demon lord that's over two-thousand years old instructing you it comes a lot easier with the extra knowledge and experience. Snapping out of his thoughts Naruto returned to reality, just in time to see all of the hollows present were shuffling out of the grand hall. Turning, he saw Nel nodding at him before disappearing around the corner with Halibel. Naruto waited five minutes until everyone was gone except for himself, Grimmjow and Aizen.

Aizen descended from his throne and approached Grimmjow first. Whispering amongst each other for a few seconds, before Grimmjow bowed his head and left the hall as well. As soon as Aizen turned to the blonde his smirk turned into a light smile. Naruto had noticed that Aizen's mood always seemed to improve when he himself was around.

"I'm so glad you stayed Naruto-kun. I have a special assignment to be carried out by you immediately!" Hiding his frown Naruto stood there listening as his sensei explained his mission.

"So, I'm to assume you want them dead." Naruto took his Sensei's smirk as his answer and quickly departed from the grand hall to complete his assignment.

Aizen's small and handsome smirk turned into a maniacal grin as the darkness behind him contorted. A small tear opened and out stepped a violet haired shinigami.

"Soon Gin. Very soon, all of our plans will be put into motion." The shinigami known as Gin smiled as he stood beside Aizen.

"So is that how I'm getting my promotion." Inquired Gin.

"That is how we are getting everything we want and more." As Aizen's insane laughter echoed within the grand hall. Gin Ichimaru, lieutenant of the third division kept smiling.

* * *

Naruto grinned as he watched the two strange shinigami conversing with each other. After observing there movements and what they were patrolling for an hour, he noticed not once did they enter the forest. Both soul reapers stayed out of reach of the forest's entrance and were guarding the outside perimeter.

'_Maybe I should play with em…then again it could be a trap'_ thought the newly made Vasto lorde as he was growing bored of just watching his prey walking back and forth.

'_**Stop being a scared kit and go slaughter them.'**_ A chuckling voice echoed in his head

'_Shut up'_ Snapped Naruto

'_**Look at you afraid of mere dead human souls.'**_ Naruto ignored the fox's taunts and orders until he angrily made a suggestion. _**'Fine then send out a scout to see if it's a trap waiting for you.'**_

'_That's the first worth while thing you've suggested all day, now shut up so I can concentrate'_ Naruto though calmly as he carefully pulled out a strand of his hair that instantly transformed into blood stained fur. He held his hand out in front of his face with the fur resting on his open palm. Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled blowing the fur out of his hand where it fell beneath the trees and into the forest. Naruto was excited as copy of himself in his hollow form appeared before him and inclined its head in a greeting to it's creator.

'_Go and kill those two shinigami trespassing on my land.'_ Naruto spoke directly into his clones mind. With a short bow the fox clone growled as it launched itself into the air.

From his position Naruto watched gleefully as his creation charged right out and attacked two surprised shinigami.

"Finally time for some fun." Naruto remarked as he disappeared into the thick canopy of his forest.

* * *

_First of all I want to give a big thanks to my new beta, Vassago-Toxicity. Who did an amazing job of fixing my mistakes. If you all can't tell i absolutely hate Sasuke. I wanted to kill him but then I'd have to put him into the story. So instead i just took his eyes, and yes he will survive meaning he's not gonna have any further role in my story. Well I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review._


	6. The strength I call my own

_There is no safe place for me to hide_

_There's no safe place for me, I'm so tired_

_There is no safe place for me to hide_

_There's no safe place for me…_

_Hurt - Forever_

Chapter 6: **The strength I call my own**

It lunged at Kakashi's throat, but the grey haired shinigami was ready. His blade instantly turned into black gauntlets with strips of blue dancing across them. As the beasts claws neared his head, he caught them with his gauntlets, twisted and broke them. Kakashi then found himself using the beasts own weapon against him, splitting his mask in two. He watched as the hollow did something he had never seen any do before. It simply evaporated into a waft of black smoke. Kakashi was left with no time to ponder this, as an identical fox was already upon him. Kakashi could feel the wind as the fox's paws tore through the air in front of him. With no time to dodge he raised his gauntlets in a defensive position, in the hopes of lessening the blow. After a few seconds passed and he wasn't mauled by the hideous creature, Kakashi opened his eyes to see sharp white claws extended a few inches from his face.

"Capture seal complete." Turning around to the familiar voice Kakashi was surprised to see Jiraiya's blade stuck into the ground with different lines and symbols surrounding it. From these symbols, lines of black ink extended to each and every fox hollow that covered the space of the field. This in itself was surprising as he knew of no spell that was anything like this. Which meant it was one of Jiraiya-sama's Zanpaktuo techniques.

"Even in death you are the sealing expert." shaking his head Kakashi turned his attention back at the creature frozen in front of him. "Sooo…" Lightning struck the clones head causing it to disappear into black smoke. "Any idea on what the hell these things are. I mean no normal Hollow can make copies of itself that vanish into smoke."

The toad hermit scratched his head in thought. The beasts weren't all that powerful, meaning that they were either a test or the hollow commanding them was a lower class hollow. But then how could it create them in the first place, and why have they never seen a hollow do anything like this? As questions without plausible answers built up in the sannins head, the only outside expression he did was frown and then a shrug of his shoulders. Kakashi stopped destroying the last two hollows only because of the image he had seen in the distance deep inside the forest. Straining his eyes to look through the shadows cast down by the many trees, Kakashi caught a glance at the hidden being's face. _'Whisker marks and blonde hair.' _Thought Kakashi, from these two defining features one name came to mind. "Na..ruto.."

As if that name had been the chain holding him back, Kakashi dashed forward with impressive speed as he chased the silhouette in the forest.

Muttering curses as he followed closely behind his friend, Jiraiya didn't so much as say a word when he finally caught up to the shinigami in mid shun-po. He just simply stepped in and timed his own flash step to match his partners.

* * *

Surprise and disappointment were two of the many different feelings Uzumaki Naruto was experiencing as he witnessed the out right slaughter of his creations. As it seemed, his little experiment had been a complete and utter failure. The technique, fox shadow, was another very interesting and useful trick the Kyuubi had taught to him after he perfected shape-shifting. He could effectively utilize his new skill, and create as many duplicates as he desired, but the drawback was that they were easily defeated like any other low level hollow. The secret of the fox shadows was that a single strand of fur carried the essence of the original In the copy. So after being injected with a bit of spiritual energy the small hair could be turned into a weapon of destruction.

An army of foxes that couldn't think or disobey their creator was at his disposal. But like what happened before his very eyes fifteen of his faithful copies had been dispatched effortlessly by two soul reapers. The only way to kill one of these tyrants was to destroy the single hair that granted them existence. Which, of course, was a simple matter of obliterating their masks where the medium always resided. For over twenty years Naruto had experimented to try and move the location of the medium but it was all for nothing, as every copy was built with the same structure and appearance. Red fur, red eyes, big, and a mask with a piece of his own essence behind. It was maddening just to think and contemplate why the results were always the same, but Naruto took it all in stride as he deliberately started approaching a more illuminated area of the forests entrance. To draw in his target a more delicate approach was needed. So, with that thought in mind he revealed himself to the shinigami world in his original image for the first time in over hundred years.

* * *

The shinigami thrust his crackling, electrically charged blade at Naruto's chest. At the very last moment, just as he was about to be impaled, he managed to block the thrust with his own blade, a horrifying shriek of metal on metal echoed as the two blades scratched against the other. Followed shortly by screams as electricity surged through both blades and enveloped Naruto's body. The moment their swords parted Naruto stabbed back with his own blade clutched deeply in his palms, but the shinigami dodged aside and then leaped upon him, knocking him down as its blade plunged through his head. As metal sliced through a porcelain like mask black smoke erupted concealing the shinigami from view.

Kakashi looked back and forth breathing heavily as he searched for his opponent. The once-shinobi knew if not for his ninja training that his eyes would not have noticed the almost invisible switch between the fox hollow and the black cloaked warrior. Black gloves clutched tightly against the blade surging with sparks raised in preparation. Kakashi was ready, for if his opponent tried a sneak attack he would be a position to defend and counter. Of course, if the exact opposite were to occur then he'd be prepared to strike. So with one last gulp of air his eyes closed, breathing slowed and only the sound of running water could be heard over his own heart beat.

* * *

Jiraiya wiped the end of his sleeve across his drenched forehead as he sped quickly through the shadowed forest, in search of his partner. He still felt confused about exactly how these events had occurred in the first place. One second he and Kakashi were chasing after a black cloaked being, the next they were ambushed by a horde of those damn fox clones. The worst part of it all was that Kakashi hadn't even stopped to help, he just obliterated the beasts that were in his way and continued forward. Nevertheless, Jiraiya had conquered them and followed after his partners spirit energy. Judging by the amount being used it seemed his friend was in a fight for his life. Seeing the light ahead the toad hermit slowed his pace as he burst from the darkness and into an illuminated clearing.

Jiraiya's eyes fell on Kakashi instantly, he gasped in shock at the sight of him. Kakashi was standing still, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth that matched the substance flowing down his chest. His blade lay forgotten on the ground beside him. Reaching up the shinigami's fingers ghosted over the blade protruding from his chest. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as the cloaked being viciously ripped the blade from his body.

A yellow flash was the only warning before the hollow was carving a path through the forest.

A second later Kakashi's body was gently set down beside Jiraiya.

"What took you so long?" Jiraiya snarled "I sent that message 15 minutes ago Minato."

The Third Division captain Namikaze Minato turned his gaze from his student to his teacher. "I'm sorry, the old Goat was being unusually stubborn today." Minato muttered. Jiraiya shook his head before coming beside his student.

"Go." Jiraiya said in a tone of authority. When sapphire eyes looked at him with confusion, the toad hermit sighed to himself. _'forgot how dense he can be sometimes.'_

"Go" He said again in the same Commanding voice. "Unohana's on the way she'll do Kakashi more good then you leaning over him soaking his shirt with tears." Jiraiya's tone lightened at the end and he even chuckled with his captain. Though he knew no matter what he said or how he threatened his captain Minato wouldn't leave the kids side until the fourth division captain was here in person. So, with one more sigh Jiraiya flopped down beside the injured shinigami.

"Don't worry so much Jiraiya-sensei. Zaraki is out fox hunting." Jiraiya grinned reflected

Minato's at the thought of the eleventh division captain.

"Oh well that's one unlucky kitsune." Chuckled the younger shinigami.

* * *

'_Sensei was right Kyuubi, it was trap set for me…Damn, I walked right into it.'_

Said Kitsune was pacing furiously in his re-decorated room. _'__**Filthy human scum! How dare they oppose us like this.**__'_ Oh, how he wished he was free to capture and devour each and everyone of these vermin. To break them and watch as they plea and beg for their miserable lives. He opened his eyes slightly, and a twisted smirk flashed for a moment,

changing his handsome features into an evil mask.

'_**Boy, create three shadows. To tend to the weaklings, while we focus on the bigger prey.**__'_

Nodding, Naruto followed his fathers instructions. As his hands plucked a few strands of fur, his mind drifted off as he unconsciously dodged and shifted to avoid incoming trees and their branches.

Naruto remembered the time when he began to consider Kyuubi as more then just a friend and teacher. Some how over seventy years the demon fox had burrowed a hole for himself in the blondes heart. Naruto did not have many friends in life, and because of that he savoured and tried to force other people to like him. It didn't matter if they were shinobi or villagers, he just craved more attention and respect.

Since his life ended Naruto was afraid, at first, that he would never see the ones that mattered the most to him. However, as time passed he came to realize no one had actually cared for him. He was just a problem in their lives that was resolved easily by pretending to care for him. It took Naruto over fifty years to discover these horrifying truths, but in the end it made everything much better in his new life. His heart had opened just a crack and the unfortunate mask that hid his true self from peering eyes began to dissolve. In death, he found a family and a place where he belonged. No matter what happened from here on out he vowed to destroy anyone who would deliberately (or not) get in the way of his family and him.

"_**Idiot! Pay attention**_**!"**

Kyuubi's warning came just in time as Naruto grabbed the branch in his path and swung himself up onto a higher branch seconds before a jagged blade smashed the branch he was previously on into bits. Gripping the hilt of his blade Naruto soundlessly drew his blade. His crimson slited eyes locked onto a behemoth of a man with an eye patch and bells attached to his strangely spiked hair. Positioning his blade on top of the giant Naruto stepped off the branch and allowed himself to freefall.

* * *

His eyes scanned the area as he panted with excitement. Anyone who had ever met Captain of the eleventh division would understand exactly the reason why he was panting and grinning like a lunatic. As he searched tree after tree to locate his new prey, which he hoped would relieve his boredom if only for a few moments. A distinct whistling brought Zaraki Kenpachi's gaze upwards. His grin somehow stretched further across his scarred face as a blade was only a few measly inches away from cutting him in two.

Zaraki didn't flinch or look away as the tip of the blade punctured through his granite like skin. Before the blade could dig in any further he grabbed the hollow's hands and flung him into some trees. Zaraki watched as his prey twisted in mid air and managed to evade the incoming trees instead of just pummelling straight through them.

A great hefty insane laughter echoed all through out the forest as the only captain to never unlock bankai or even learn his Zanpakuto's name charged onwards to continue the hunt.

* * *

A small beam of light streaming through in-between two trees, illuminated Naruto's handsome features as he stood casually with his back against a tree. A sigh escaped his parted lips and his eyes flashed open.

"Amazing. They would send so many just for me eh?" Looking out Naruto gazed at the empty forest and slowly closed his eyes again. His hands pushed off the bark behind him as he fell into a roll and came to a stop on his knees. Naruto opened his eyes and sighed once again as he looked across the cluttered area with shinigami forming a circle around him.

His eyes bore into the shinigami that were positioned directly ahead of him. A crooked smile covered his face and his eyes burned with delight as some of the proud soul reapers shivered by just the oppressive energy that circled him.

"Oh yes…you're going to be a lot of fun."

Naruto growled as he recognized the terrible laugh that echoed from behind. Naruto spun as he stood, so when he was standing he was facing the behemoth who had almost chopped him into pieces.

"Ah, I guess you're not as insane as you look." Remarked the vasto lorde as he dusted off his cloak. "For it is common sense to ask for help to defeat a foe that is beyond your own strength."

Naruto stared incredulously at the giant as his laughter and spirit energy began to increase.

"These weaklings are here only to observe. Don't worry, no one will interfere with our fight."

He felt almost like snorting as the rest of the surrounding shinigami seemed to become brave warriors as their apparent leader put up some of his power on display.

'_So, they think this is enough strength to warrant their victory.'_ Smirking he stared at the grinning giant, his muscles began to flex. _'I'll show you all the power of Uzumaki Naruto.'_

* * *

Minato watched sceptically as the beautiful captain of the fourth division began to work on Kakashi's more deadly injuries. He hoped his sixth seat would pull through this because when they returned to soul society he was getting his long deserved promotion.

Night had passed quickly and the sun was blazing high in the sky when Minato felt it. The energy that enveloped the clearing was powerful and each shinigami present recognized it immediately as captain Zaraki Kenpachi. Jiraiya chuckled loudly beside Minato as he patted him on the back.

"Poor bastard I almost feel sorry for- " Jiraiya fell to his knees as an energy almost twice as strong, easily smothered Kenpachi's. The energy died down quickly and Jiraiya found he could breathe again.

Minato stood stock still looking in the direction where the unknown energy had come from. His hand flashed to his blade as someone gently shook his shoulder. Unohana was standing beside him her face displaying her concern. Minato had to wonder how he had become so engrossed in this new energy that he didn't even notice Unohana approach him.

"You should go help them Minato-san." Minato stared into her face and could see that she was worried for everyone who was facing the creature exhuding such power. He felt guilty that he had not gone to deal with the hollow himself, but he did not want to leave Kakashi's side because he was afraid his student would die without him by his side. No, he couldn't go. Not with the condition his friend was in.

"I can't." Unohana's gaze softened as Minato went to Kakashi's side.

"He's going to live Minato-san I promise you." Turning back Minato smiled at his fellow captain before he turned into yellow blur and vanished into the dark forest.

* * *

Naruto didn't hesitate, as the cocky giant fell to the ground dressed in his own blood. He lunged at the closest shinigami, even as the others bounded forward. He ran swiftly past his target, the other soul reapers paused as their comrades head fell from his body.

Naruto used their distraction to his advantage as he swung his weapon viciously to the right, the blade sweeping through another three and cleaving them in half. He paused for only a second, as the energy from the fallen souls was running through his sword and transfering into his body. The weakness and exhaustion he had been feeling from battling with the giant was non exisitent as new energy rejuvunated his tired body. Naruto raised his blade as the remaining shinigami snapped out of their confusion and began to circle around trying to corner him, all intensely wary of his crimson stained blade. Naruto made small thrusts at them as they feinted attacks, none of them daring enough to follow through with a real assault.

One of the reapers charged forward as he saw an opening in Naruto's defence. His comrades yelled after him, but he kept pumping his legs with energy and flew like a speeding bullet at the hollow's exposed back. Naruto easily leaped over the blade. As his feet touched the ground he sprung forward with lightning speed and the point of his blade tore through the soul reaper's arm, separating limb from body. Naruto snatched the shinigami's arm as it fell and plunged the blade, still held by it, through the shinigami's head.

The remaining shinigami were shaking as they stood and watched their comrade met his end. Some of them screamed and began to run. They were the first ones to plummet to the ground dead. Only two soul reapers did not run as they readied themselves for battle. Naruto nodded at them in recognition of their bravery before he disappeared and blood exploded from both shinigami.

Naruto cleaned his blade on his own robe, when it was spotless he sheathed his blade and began to create a portal. His hands sliced open a hole into the air with Hueco Mundo reflecting on the other side. He took one last look at the destroyed forest. One leg was through the portal, even as he began to step through the dimensional rift his eyes lingered on the scenery. Half his body was through before a yellow blur smashed into him and pulled him back out.

Naruto grabbed one of the dead shinigami blades and tossed it at his attacker. Minato grabbed the blade as it narrowly passed by his head and threw it back while charging forwards. Scrambling to his feet Naruto swatted the blade away and met the blonde haired shinigami downward strike with his own. Their blades clashed as they both tried to over power the other. Crimson glared into cerulean as their blades ground against each other and screeched as each applied more pressure. A smile sneaked it's way onto Naruto's face before he released his hold on his blade and side stepped by the stumbling shinigami. Naruto rushed forwards as fast as he could and jumped through the opened rift just as a stream of glowing Sakura petals crashed into the closing gate.

Sheathing his blade Minato waved at a member of the sixth division, Byakuya Kuchiki. Byakuya was a highly respected shinigami who came from one of the four noble clans in soul society.

He was dressed in the standard shinigami uniform with a white headpiece on his long flowing hair and a white scarf wrapped securely around his neck. Minato wasn't surprised in the least when his fellow shinigami glared at him, before leaving via shun-po. Shaking his head at the young man's temper, Minato watched as the remaining soul reapers all returned to Soul Society. Minato's gaze switched to the empty space where the gate to Hueco Mundo used to exist. His eyes lingered there for a few moments, looking up day light was beginning to break through the shadows. With one last glance Minato vanished.

As the last remaining soul in the forest left, a small tear ripped open. A tanned hand reached out and grabbed a blue steeled blade that everyone else had forgotten. With one quick jerk the blade was uprooted from the ground and pulled through the gate. As the gate and hand disappeared the forest became eerily silent.

* * *

Sorry about the double post but Shinen no Hikari brought up some important information that I had not know at the time I was writing this. So I had to change some things at the end of this chapter. I do have good news that a new chapter will be up by friday at the latest. Thank you again Hikari.


	7. Nothing can be explained

_I fell asleep in a world dressed in grey_

_Only to awake in a garden divine_

_There was song and dance and untarnished flesh_

_A feast for the body and eyes_

_It was you who brought me here_

_Yours, whose face greeted me, in the garden of light_

_You are the face of god_

_You are my breath_

_My life, my death_

_Isis - Garden of light_

Chapter 7 : Nothing can be explained

In a darkly shadowed room Aizen is pacing back and forth as he constantly rubs his forehead.

'Damn it Gin if they killed him, I don't think your going to escape the punishment this time!'

Aizen had become very interested when he had caught word from his accomplices that two captains and fifteen others had been sent to cleanse one hollow on the eastern plateau. There would have been nothing to worry about if Gin or even Tousen were sent, but no it was those damnable fools Kenpachi and Minato.

As the seconds passed on Aizen started tapping his foot as his frustration with the entire situation was rising very quickly. Naruto was strong but to overpower two captain level shinigami he wasn't hundred percent certain that even the Kyuubi could save them from those odds.

What irritated him the most were the facts that his carefully thought out plans were going exactly as they were planned; Minato would have been killed by his own son and Gin would have been promoted to captain. But those meant absolutely nothing to him if Naruto was to die. Almost everything was riding on the boy and the beast inside of him.

Soon he would have a power far greater then any other and soul society would crumble before his might. Yet all it would take to ruin his great schemes was for one cocky irrational hollow who seemed to enjoy tormenting and killing shinigami, to die. One slice to a mask that might as well be made out of paper and he would have to start from scratch and wait probably another few hundred years.

So while Aizen waited impatiently he hoped for the sake of his sanity that Naruto had survived and maybe if possible killed both captains.

After three gruelling hours that Aizen endured with a smile and a cup of tea past, he finally felt Gin's presence as a knock echoed through the his private courtiers.

Clearing his throat as the cooling liquid flowed down his neck and soothed the ache out of his body his voice resounded with a powerful and commanding "Yes."

The wooden door was flicked up open with minimal effort and a purple haired shinigami with a creepy smile casually strolled inside.

"Ahhh…Gin, good news I presume." Aizen lifted his chocolate eyes to his accomplices face, but continued to sip at his tea.

"I doubt I'd be here if it wasn't Aizen-San." Gin said calmly without the smile leaving his features.

"Well?" Aizen said after a few moments, knowing that Gin was just trying to irritate him further. Gin put his finger to his chin, and began humming to himself. Sighing Aizen laid his cup down and released a small margin of his energy out to jolt his cohorts memory.

Gin's purple hair shook as he slammed his right fist into his left palm, "So do you want the good news or the bad." Gin said slyly

"I really hate your childish games Gin." Aizen replied in a bored tone. "I must warn you though my patience is reaching it's end. So tell me exactly what it is I wish to hear." Gin seemed unfazed by his friends obvious frustration as he started mumbling something under his breath.

Just as Aizen was about to place the annoying shinigami under a most unpleasant illusion Gin spoke.

"Naruto is alive, he has killed over fourteen shinigami six were seated members." Gin said. "Hatake Kakashi; six seat of the third division and Zaraki Kenpachi; captain of the eleventh division are alive, but in critical condition."

"Zaraki? Well that's quite a feat." Aizen whispered. "I'm guessing he failed…Minato still lives."

Gin chuckled as he gracefully sat down in the chair across from Aizen.

"You don't seem to upset by these results Aizen-San."

Brown eyes looked intently at the purple haired man. "Gin come now, it's foolish to thing that one being no matter how powerful they may be could complete every task assigned to them without failure ever occurring." A smile brightened up the face of the fifth squads lieutenant.

"Truthfully I'm quite pleased by Naruto's accomplishments. Taking on a horde of shinigami, led by two captains is no laughable task to survive. Let alone to mortally wound one."

In reality he didn't care if Gin and Tousen had been the ones sent and were defeated by Naruto. It would definitely be a loss, two fine shinigami as themselves, but he would sacrifice anything for the power inside of his most faithful servant.

Stretching from his seat Aizen's muscles groaned in agony as each had not been moved very much during the whole three hour wait.

"Go, and get those three." Gin looked up with confusion in his eyes. Seeing this Aizen grinned and motioned to the folder sitting on his desk.

Gently but swiftly the documents were in Ichimaru's hands as he skimmed through each one.

"Isn't it a little too soon for this?"

"Possibly." Aizen responded in a smug tone. He knew the risk that came with exposing such an important but essential part of his plans to these three so early. "Don't you think it would benefit us much more if they had such a great amount of time to prepare?"

Nodding Gin kept his full attention on the files in his smooth hands. "Hmmm…this could be quite interesting, I can't wait to see there reactions." Gin voice sounded very childish as he seemed to simply bounce out of the office.

Aizen stayed standing behind his desk with a dark grin splitting his face.

"Oh you have no idea my friend."

Another knock resounded through the office. Immediately Aizen's facial features relaxed into his caring and calm mask. Opening the door Aizen looked at the face of his foolish but useful captain.

"Good Afternoon Hirako-Taicho"

* * *

"When the hell is Aizen-Sensei coming back Grimmjow." Said panther just stared at the pacing blond haired teen. "Seriously Naruto I have no fucking idea and I don't care what you do in the meantime as long as you leave me the hell alone."

Naruto glared at his irritated friend, his normal blue eyes becoming piercing shards of ice. "Your suppose to be my caring friend you know." Grimmjow sighed, only Naruto could make you truly regret ever becoming friends with him.

"In a fight, Fox! That's the only time your ever allowed to come to me for help." Naruto's glare intensified. "What! your so god damn annoying that I'm about to kill myself, if I have to listen to you whine anymore."

"Grimmjow. Your such a drama queen." Naruto laughed to himself as he listened to the snarling and sounds of various things breaking as he walked back to his room.

As Naruto made it to the wooden door leading to his room he let his cheerful façade drop. As he entered the room, he immediately went to the middle of the room and sat down cross-legged.

Focusing Naruto pushed away all the sounds that were surrounding him. He inhaled through his nose and allowed the air to fill his lungs. With a sigh he turned every ounce of his concentration onto the beating off his heart as he began to meditate.

Soon everything disappeared and he was standing in a throne room where his red haired twin was sprawled out on a enormous chair.

"Well what brings you all the way out here to my humble abode." Kyuubi flashed a toothy grin as he adjusted his sitting position.

Naruto just stared at him in wonder. It always amazed him how his resident Fox lord could always be so calm and happy after almost being wiped from existence.

"Any breakthroughs?"

"Not much luck in that department." Kyuubi growled.

"Irritating isn't it?" Naruto smirked. "I mean the almighty Kyuubi no Kitsune can't even catch a little parasite that's been leeching off our spirit energy."

Kyuubi's lips pulled back to expose his gleaming white teeth as he snarled.

"I've caught the leech a couple times, If your mind wasn't so fucked, I would have disposed of the freeloader by now."

"I'm quite sane thank you." Naruto replied

"You have no idea how large and confusing you actually are. I can't even keep track off how many rooms there is in your twisted little head." Kyuubi elaborated thinking of all his fruitless searching.

Naruto didn't comment. He stood still looking in the distance hoping the leech would just simply appear.

"Is that all his majesty wanted to know? Or is there another reason to why your wasting my precious time?" Kyuubi's face split into a grin. Naruto knew the damn fox was just trying to start a fight.

"Yes…those shinigami I knew them."

Kyuubi blinked. He didn't anticipate this. "Which ones?"

"The two, the fox shadows ambushed. Both were my Sensei. Kakashi was wearing the eye patch and the other one was Jiraiya of the legendary Sannin."

A nostalgic feeling passed through Naruto as memories off the past flashed through his mind.

"Knowing that they were once your allies, you still tried to kill them without a hint of hesitation or regret." Naruto smiled sadly.

"It's only natural. I am a hollow, and there job is to exterminate our kind Kyuu." Kyuubi nodded in understanding.

"You met a dear old friend of mine as well." Naruto noticed the look of pure hatred that marred his fathers face.

"Who?"

"Come now your majesty…you locked blades with him."

His eyes closed as he pictured images of each and every shinigami he battled with in the forest. Sweat began to slide down his face as he tried to put faces to them all. Naruto shook his head violently to clear all the faces of the shinigami he killed.

Kyuubi rose from his seat and walked pass the reminiscing blond.

"Well I'm going hunting. If you by any chance happen to remember something come see me."

Kyuubi flashed a knowing smirk. "I have another suggestion, instead of brooding about failing your mission for rest of the year, why don't ya go have some fun for a change. I'm sure Nel will be more then willing to show you what I mean."

Before Naruto could yell in frustration at the annoying kitsune he was forced out of his mind. As he sat there too lazy to move he swore he could hear the fox's laughter echoing in the back of his head.

Ignoring the silent laughing taunting him, he instead focused his mind on what Kyuubi had said. 'An old acquaintance.' But who? Was the question nagging at Naruto. He could only think of a few that would dare even approach Kyuubi, and all of them were massive demons.

But he had not encountered any of the bijuus yesterday. That same question came back to slap in the face 'Who!' Once again he began to sort through each and every face. Shocked, terrified, sad, proud, excited, confused, and angry faces. But no matter how many faces he went through none of them could have possibly encountered the Fox. It had to be someone from his world; the elemental nations.

But of course a lot of memories invaded his mind and ruined his concentration, as soon as he thought of his old home and life. Standing up he ran his right hand through his golden locks. He had to get out of here. If he stayed here he would more then likely spend the rest of the day searching his mind for answers that would never come.

"I think for once I'll use your advice Kyuu."

* * *

"Unohana I just want to speak with him, I swear I won't try to help him escape..." Minato paused as he looked away from the caring woman's hardened gaze. "Again." He finished in a whisper.

Sighing Unohana stepped out of the way and allowed Minato to enter the fourth division.

"Minato I'll have you arrested if you try to release Kakashi-san." She called before he disappeared around the corner.

Minato's pace doubled as he basically ran through the fourth division. He knew Unohana would do it, there was no doubt in his mind. Sure she was the most caring and selfless individual in all of Soul Society that he knew.

Until you mess with her patients, then her claws came out and she was out right scary.

Especially someone as injured as his student was. Kakashi was barely clinging onto what life was left in him when he was carried into the hospital wing inside the fourth division. Unohana had healed Kakashi as best as she could while he was off chasing after the hollow which had inflicted such an extensive amount of damage and death.

Apparently she had not noticed the poison flowing through his veins while she cleaned and stitched his wounds. If Kakashi hadn't been trained all his life on strengthening his body to survive the worst possible conditions imaginable. He would have died on the trip back to Sereitai, before Unohana could run a thorough diagnostic check on him and discover the deadly venom.

Minato couldn't hold a grudge against her, for the mistake she had made. He knew how hard it most of been to know that so many were dying while she was trying to save one mans life. Unohana was just to gentle of soul and her slip must have been eating away at her enough already. He would not add to her suffering, just to relieve his own frustration.

Finally reaching the east wing Minato was greeted by a full grown man begging his nurse to be released.

"Kakashi my friend, how is the food." Minato chuckled softly as the copy-cat Ninja Hatake Kakashi shuddered at the mere thought of hospital food.

"Taicho they won't listen to me. I keep telling them I'm In perfect shape, but they just ignore me and tell me to be quiet." Minato tried to reign in his control but seeing a former shinobi tied to a hospital bed and pouting like a four year old was just too much.

Minato could feel Kakashi's eyes spearing him with a glare but he couldn't help it. His laugh was loud and boisterous.

"Hn." Kakashi grumbled as he crossed his arms, clearly he wasn't impressed.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you sometimes Taicho." Kakashi said. "Do you have any idea how long they plan to keep me here."

"Forever." Minato replied with a straight face.

Kakashi recoiled back as if he had been struck. "No…oh please god NOOOO!."

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Every occupant in the room looked shocked at the usually quiet and calm shinigami nurse.

"Now I understand why you want out so badly." It seems that was the last straw as the nurse glared at Minato with her green glowing eyes before storming out of the room.

"Finally." Kakashi breathed out a sigh of relief.

"For second there I thought she'd never leave." Kakashi continued.

Minato snorted. "If she had stayed any longer she would've strangled us." Minato turned his eyes from the door to the hospital inmate.

"Alright, what was so important you wanted to speak with me alone?" Minato addressed seriously.

"In the woods..I can't be certain..but I think…Naruto was there." Kakashi watched as his Taicho stiffened and froze. He didn't move or blink, it almost seemed as if he were a living statue.

Minato felt cold, his son was in the forest. His child was so close and he had been ignorant to these facts. He didn't know how to react to this information, what did it matter now anyways. Even if Naruto was truly there he would be long gone by now. Still a little voice was yelling very loudly in his ear that his son was alive. Then another thought occurred to him, If Kakashi recognized him that meant he wasn't a hollow.

"Kakashi did he look normal?" Kakashi was a little startled as Minato firmly grasped his shoulders. He had been afraid at first to tell Minato, worrying about how he'd react with such knowledge. Kakashi could only hope he wouldn't go overboard or do anything too drastic.

"If it was him then yeah. He looked exactly as he did when we were alive." Kakashi couldn't stop the shiver which tingled up his spine at his Taicho's unnerving gaze.

"So what exactly are you planning sensei." Minato didn't respond right away, instead he took a seat on Kakashi's bedside.

"I've got to find him Kakashi." Minato stood and started pacing frantically around the room.

"I have to know if he's alright…I have to." Kakashi easily snapped the straps restraining him from moving. He walked beside Minato and placed his hand on his Taicho's shoulder. Minato looked behind him to see his sixth seat's worried expression.

"Well if were going to look for one small boy, in such a large world. How about we band a search party together?" Kakashi eye smiled.

* * *

Naruto had a certain bounce to his step, as he skipped down Las Noches corridors. After spending an evening with his favourite hollow, he had forgotten all about finding out which friend of Kyuubi's he had met, when they were attacked by a group of shinigami in the forest of death. Naruto chuckled as he remembered the ridiculous name his forest had required since his last battle.

Naruto almost growled as he noticed a similar figure leaning against the wall at the end of the hall, near his door. He quickly stoned his features and wore his expressionless mask as he strode past Nnoitra. He stopped in front of his door, with his eyes glaring at the prey mantis although he considered him more as a snake then a bug.

"Uzumaki, I hope you enjoyed your evening?" With gritted teeth Naruto reached his hand out and grabbed the door handle.

His hand stayed on the metal item between his fingers as he contemplated weather he should respond. After a few seconds Naruto let out a sigh and shifted his eyes to the pest beside him.

"It would have been perfect, had you decided to crawl in a hole and die!"

Nnoitra didn't respond, instead he laughed as he walked away. Even after Naruto had slammed his door shut behind him he could still hear the bugs laughter echoing through the walls.

With his right hand he soothingly started rubbing circles on his forehead. Naruto knew he shouldn't have reacted so strongly to Nnoitra's presence and words. Just the way Nnoitra had stared at him with his eyes openly displaying his hatred and impatience. Naruto could feel his anger spiking as he thought about the other hollows strange behaviour. Normally Nnoitra would have come back with a comment to anger him further for his own amusement. Never had he just brushed off such a remark with laughter.

Releasing the breath he just discovered he had been holding Naruto flopped on his mattress and began the tedious task of trying to calm himself enough to fall asleep.

Something dark was hovering over him, he could taste the familiar scent wafting off of his guest. Only once in his long existence of being deceased had he ever smelt the scent of the food he had craved when he was alive; ramen. Now it was a disgusting stench that made his body quiver with each breath.

A high pitched screech followed the scent and a burst of light exploded all around Naruto exposing the landscape of the forest of death. It took a second for Naruto's eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. As his vision cleared he could make out a figure approaching him at a speed that matched his own.

By instinct alone his blade was drawn and clashed with a blonde haired man with bright sapphire eyes.

Time seemed to freeze as Naruto stared into the man's face. A sudden revelation hit him as he remembered the stone face that he had spent most of his life sitting atop of. This shinigami bared a perfect resemblance to the fourth Hokage of Konoha. The man he had crossed swords with, a being the most powerful demon considered a friend through hatred for the other. 'Yondaime.'

Naruto flung off of his bed in his natural fox form. His fur was soaked in sweat and oddly he felt weak instead of feeling power flowing through his rejuvenated body, as he usually felt after sleeping.

Without evening fully thinking about his weakened physical condition. Naruto mechanically sat cross-legged on the cold floor and forced himself into meditating.

Naruto realized something was wrong the second he appeared in his mindscape. Something had definitely happened when the Kyuubi changed his palace into the Hokage Monument overlooking Konoha.

Taking in the scent of fresh trees. The sound of running water, and the gentle caress of the blowing wind, caused Naruto to panic. He knew Kyuubi cared not for scenery the fox paid more attention to the size of his throne then nature. The fact that Konoha was captured so vividly meant this was not the demons doing.

"Good morning Naruto-kun, I have been waiting a long time for you to awaken."

Naruto gasped as he took in the sight of the crimson haired goddess he had the pleasure of meeting once before. The women grinned at his stunned reaction.

"I'm so happy you remember me..." She paused as a wicked smile contorted her face. " my son."

* * *

Well heres where the story actually begins to get interesting. I hope you all liked the ending? So like usual read and review. Let me know what you thought of the cliffy.


	8. Repetition of Hatred

_Don't know why, but I feel sadness when you're near me Why can't we become one? I put my hands out for those words that are too fragile, even just one Please give my heart something,_

_anything like a blade sharp enough to strike you_

_Dir en grey - Ware, Yami Tote…_

_**Chapter 8 : Repetition of Hatred**_

"Son…how is that possible?" Naruto was scrutinizing the red haired woman as she stood still, grinning at him.

Naruto felt like digging his nails into his skull, just to release the pressure that was building. A headache, of all things, was the last thing he needed at the moment.

"I don't believe you." Naruto said. "There's no possible way we could be related…I still haven't even figured out how you're here in the first place."

Naruto could see the woman's expression turn from cheerful to grave as she frowned at him. This just wasn't possible, why did this woman think she, of all people, was his mother? Even if they were related what was she doing here in his soul? There were only two people that had ever been part of him, besides himself.

"Where's Kyuubi? What have you done with him…" Naruto asked, leaning against a fake tree, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Kushina." She introduced herself.

"And perhaps you need only look in yourself for the answer." Naruto gritted his teeth as the taunting smile was back stretching across the woman's beautiful face. Thinking over her words, Naruto had to agree with her, this was his soul, wherein he possesses complete control.

Naruto pushed off the tree and glanced around for a moment, scratching his head.

"Call out to him, if he is still inside of you, he would be able to hear you and respond."

Naruto subtly nodded his head in agreement. Even though he was kind of annoyed about how she seemed to be so knowledgeable about these kinds of things. It didn't really matter if he could indeed contact his father, then he would get an explanation for all this madness.

His eyes shut for only a second as he silently called for the demon lord. Seconds passed and there was no response or any signal from the fox lord. Naruto began pacing forward while gripping his blade's handle firmly in preparation to draw it at any moment.

"Give me a reason why I should not kill you where you stand…woman?" Said being took a step toward Naruto, not in the least bit affected by his spiteful tone and words.

Standing no more then a few feet away, Kushina extended her arms outwards to him.

For a minute Naruto curiously looked at her opened arms, not quite sure how to react. Kushina continued to inch forward until the blonde was almost in reach. Naruto stumbled backward to put some distance between the two of them.

"Why are you here? What the FUCK DO YOU WANT!?" In one split second Naruto drew his blade and held it against the red head's throat. His breathing was heavy as the blade inched deeper into her pale skin.

"Is this how you want to solve your problems? By taking your anger out on your poor defenseless mother?" As the last word left her lips, Naruto slid his blade across her neck.

"LIES! YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER!" Naruto screamed as he glared at the lifeless body.

"Oh my, oh my….but I most certainly am, my child. It seems I need to knock some sense into you." A vicious grin spread across her face, and her eyes glowed like rubies. "For my words to reach that thick head of yours."

Naruto glanced behind him where Kushina was now standing, with bloodlust radiating off her in waves. His eyes returned to the ground where there was no longer a body staining the bountiful nature with it's putrid color. Instead, there was a pile of sand in it's place.

Turning back around Naruto glared at Kushina. "I don't know who you are, and I have absolutely no idea what you want." He walked forward while returning his blade to its sheathe attached to his left hip.

"However, I promise you this, I will have my answers…one way or another." Naruto's face became as hard as stone.

"Oh my, come now sweetheart, you, of all people, should know what I want most of all is…" Her melodic giggling sent a tingle that rushed down Naruto's spine. "Control!!" Naruto wasn't allowed to fully process her last sentence before she was in front of him digging her elbow into his abdomen. Naruto clutched his stomach as the air from his lungs was forced out.

"You really should pay attention darling." She swung, her fist nailing Naruto in the jaw, sending him soaring through the air.

Kushina shook her head, before gathering a large amount of reiatsu in her palm. A straight crimson beam streaked through the air following the path that Naruto had carved through the village. Her face seemed to glow, as a giant explosion decimated a section of the village.

Panting Naruto staggered out of the wreckage that was once an apartment building. He was given a moments reprieve before the red haired demon was upon him again. He sidestepped a kick aimed deliberately for his lower regions. Grabbing onto her extended leg he pulled Kushina to him. As she stumbled forwards Naruto buried his knee into her face. Without hesitating he followed up with an axe kick to her exposed stomach, which sent her straight into the ground, covering the area with a cloud of dirt.

Naruto landed and watched as his so called mother pulled herself out of a small crater. He chuckled quietly as she spat out a bloody mass.

"Better." Kushina said. "But play times over." Her hand reached to her left hip where a blade similar to Naruto's resided. The blade was fluidly drawn from its sheathe and held with both hands.

Rolling his eyes at the woman's dramatics Naruto followed her lead and drew his blue-steeled blade.

"So do you fell like answering yet?" Kushina scoffed as her left hand ran down the length of her blade.

"Of course…but you'll have to meet my demands first." Kushina replied cheekily.

"Right, where were we then?" Naruto said lazily before disappearing.

Kushina stood still for a moment as she gazed up at the sky. "Well, that was disappointing." She mumbled, as she pivoted on her left foot and sliced the area directly behind her. Naruto appeared at the exact moment moving too fast to stop, he took the full blunt of the blow. Grunting, he ignored the pain and struck out with his blade, which Kushina in turn parried.

Kushina removed her blade from the stalemate and ducked underneath the blue blade. Appearing directly beneath Naruto, Kushina flashed a smile before delivering a devastating uppercut that connected solidly with his chin. She followed Naruto's flight as she propelled herself into the air.

Just as she reached him, and her blade was about to plunge straight through his unprotected back, he vanished and appeared behind her with his arm wrapped around her throat.

"Enjoy hell, mother." He mockingly whispered into her ear before snapping her neck.

Naruto watched as the body in his grasp turned to dust and was carried off by the wind. Snickering alerted him of his opponents presence in time to duck under a killing blow aimed for his head. Flipping over Kushina, his blade dragged down her back as he fell and gracefully landed behind her.

Both combatants disappeared the next instance and clangs rang all throughout the fake village. Each time their blades connected a shock wave followed, testifying to how strong both fighters actually were.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto quickly removed the blade from his shoulder and swiped at Kushina, who ducked under the overhead strike and pulled her blade from Naruto's grasp, slicing open his palm as the steel slid through his clenched fingers.

Then, as Kushina was about to strike, Naruto moved forward quickly and elbowed her across the face, knocking the goddess back with amazing strength. He dashed forward catching up to her and heaved his blade downward, cleaving her in half. Blood exploded everywhere, drenching him in the vile substance. For a second, Naruto believed it was over. Then crimson liquid changed into sand and was scattered by a gust of wind.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, hissing in rage as he craned his neck to look behind him as Kushina's blade tore through his flesh.

Kushina blocked a brutal spin kick, while trying to chop off the blond's legs. Naruto jumped back putting enough distance between themselves, so he could have a second to rest.

"Do…you have any….idea how…it..feels to be…stuck in this….hellhole." Kushina hissed under her breath, but Naruto heard her as clear as if she were yelling.

"I've stared at this place long enough to be bored. The very home I would have gladly given my life to protect, and now I can't even stand the sight of this wretched place." Naruto said nothing as he waited for Kushina to finish her rant. Breathing heavily she looked directly into his eyes.

"I guess you've never seen your home in the same light that I have." Kushina muttered darkly. "Always so happy and carefree you were. Not a thing in the world could ever dampen your spirits." Naruto was unsure to where this was all leading to or even what purpose her childish rant served, but he still remained silent. Allowing her to continue as he recovered and began gathering his energy.

"Do you want to know why? Why, you were always so happy and never possessed any hate for those who wronged you? Why one child could love a corrupted village filled with fools who would rather see you die then succeed?" Naruto's grasp on his energy began to slowly fade as he became more engrossed in her words.

Her body was practically shaking as her crimson eyes pierced holes through Naruto.

"My child, your life was nothing but a lie…look at yourself, can't you see how much your personality has changed since dying?" Kushina growled out. Naruto was unconsciously getting closer to the infuriated woman as he clung to her every word.

"It was a side affect, that occurred with the Kyuubi and I fusing." Naruto stopped and positioned his sword in front of him defensively. He still had a tinge of curiosity remaining but that was overpowered by his desire to live.

"You simple minded fool!" Kushina yelled "The fusion wasn't the cause of all the hate and bloodlust now residing in you!"

"So what is, hmm? You seem to know just about everything about me. Tell me mother why the sudden drastic change?" Sarcasm was practically rolling off every word the infuriated boy spit at Kushina.

Kushina shook her head. Such a fool her son had turned out to be. "Me." Naruto stared blankly at her.

"Do tell how you have anything to do with my mentality." Naruto chuckled, amused. "Cause the fact remains you weren't even a part of me till…wait...YOU'RE THE LEECH!" Naruto roared. "It was you who was draining all my energy!"

Kushina hesitated for a moment, her gaze getting a saddened look before responding. "Yes, I am. I'm also the reason why when people remember you, they'll think of a smiling boy that could brighten up the night." A sad smile graced her features.

"Maybe one day you'll learn the truth, and then again maybe you won't." She gripped the blade in her hands and signaled for Naruto to come forth.

"But the time for talking has long passed…" An insane smile widened the woman's face as she charged at Naruto, laughing.

The demon vessel knew this was no longer the same woman who was calm and collected during their discussion. The insanity was almost tangible, Naruto could sense the oppressive aura that now surrounded her. Indeed, the time for words was gone. Only one option remained, to fight until the other stopped breathing.

Naruto easily followed her movements as she unleashed a barrage of strikes, all which were easily avoided. An elbow to the head left Kushina staggering. Taking advantage of her weakness Naruto hit her with a kick to the chin. Kushina's body rose into the air where Naruto was waiting, gathering energy through his arm. A pulse of concentrated reiatsu exploded from his palm and collided with Kushina.

Naruto landed and glanced at Kushina's sprawled out form indenting the ground. Naruto held back a snort as he watched her body once again turn into sand.

"Is that the only trick you know?" Naruto let a small grin sneak its way on to his face.

Kushina didn't reply by words to his taunts, instead she emerged from the ground beneath him and sliced upon his right arm.

Naruto screamed out in pain as he grabbed his injured limb and relinquished hold of his blade. All the while Naruto was completely oblivious to the smirking being hovering over him.

Kushina listened and soaked in her enemies anguished cries, as he held his arm tightly and tried to stop the bleeding.

Before he could do much more, Kushina whistled bringing Naruto's gaze up to her. As their gazes met, Kushina smashed her foot into the blondes face. The immense blow sent Naruto hurling into the distance, where he flew straight into a building. The walls holding the building up crumbled as Naruto crashed right through, sending debris and rubble flying out of the point Naruto flew into.

Soon the building collapsed in on itself, burying Naruto beneath a few tons of concrete.

Kushina skipped over to the wreckage, her exuberance increasing as she tried sensing her opponents energy. Feeling a faint amount of life coming from the area Naruto was buried, the red head turned away and began heading towards the Hokage tower.

"I'll be waiting in your office…oh great Hokage-sama!" Kushina shouted back, never stopping in her stride to the giant structure in the distance.

A pile of rubble was scattered as an explosion of reiatsu blew it all away. Getting to his feet and dusting off the debris and dust, Naruto headed back to where he left his blade.

He leaned down to retrieve his sword and glared ahead of him. From where he stood, he had a great view of the Hokage Tower.

"I guess it's inevitable. My fate has always been linked to that title." Naruto sighed as he sheathed his blade. Pumping his legs full of reiatsu, Naruto blurred before vanishing altogether.

As he stepped inside the tower, he searched from left to right looking for his opponent. Making it to the front desk, he bent his knees and jumped, tearing a hole through the roof and splitting the Hokage's desk cleanly in two.

"Quite the entrance, I'm impressed." Kushina was standing off to the left leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.

Her eyelids slowly parted and she squinted at the blonde. "Fitting place to end this little skirmish of ours. Don't you think so?"

Naruto placed his hand on the hilt of his blade, and glared at the grinning woman. Readying himself, Naruto crouched in preparation to attack.

"Yes. I agree, this is the perfect place to die."

A dark red aura flooded out of Naruto and covered him completely, forming the shape of a kitsune. From this crimson cloak two hands shot out stretching further as they chased after Kushina.

The crimson hands were tearing the room to shreds as they constantly missed the speedy red read. Kushina sighed as she stopped running and a crimson cloak of her own engulfed her.

Naruto's own cloak evaporated as Kushina drew the power from him. He blinked as he watched the last remnants of his cloak disappear into the red heads own.

"Only Kyuubi can do that. How did you acquire his abilities?"

Kushina chuckled. "Easy, I absorbed him."

An image of Kyuubi passed through Naruto's head, before being torn away and replaced with the spitting image of the woman standing in front of him.

Ever so slowly the gears in Naruto's head began turning as he digested the information concerning his father's demise.

"So you killed him?" Naruto questioned, his tone void of all emotion.

Kushina licked her lips and winked at the stunned blonde. "Yes."

That was all it took, the flood gate holding back Naruto's remaining strength was broken wide open, as he snarled baring his fangs.

He charged forwards running crouched low to the ground. He swiped at the laughing woman separating a few strands of hair from her head. Naruto was running on pure animal instinct and fury as he relentlessly swiped at and tried to sink his fangs into Kushina's exposed skin.

Kushina was dancing around the beast trying to kill her, laughing each time he'd miss his mark. After a while of bobbing and weaving around Naruto's unpredictable attacks Kushina began to grow bored. She avoided another attempt made at trying to decapitate her and retaliated by sweeping him off his feet.

As his back hit the floor Naruto rolled to the side, dodging the foot now planted in the floor where his head used to be.

He looked around the room as Kushina tried to free her foot from the wooden floorboards. Naruto lifted half of the desk he had destroyed and tossed it at the struggling woman.

As the piece of furniture was about to crush Kushina, it was reduced to ash by a crimson hand that formed a shield in front of her.

Naruto grit his teeth, as his hand once again wrapped around his blades hilt. He wrenched it free and dashed forward, positioning his blade to run his opponent through the chest.

Kushina freed her foot and ducked under Naruto's thrust. She jumped and kicked off his chest, using it as a platform.

Naruto grunted as he was knocked off balance. Before he could blink Kushina had capitalized on the opportunity, appearing in front of him in mid swing. He could only watch her fist as it traveled from it's starting position to impacting with his face. His head was thrown back from the force of the blow.

Still shocked from the first punch, Naruto had no way to defend himself as Kushina landed blow after blow to his chest, neck, and head. So consumed by the torture his body was experiencing, Naruto didn't hear the sound of his bones snapping or see the blood flying from his attackers fists.

Kushina ended her assault with a kick to the side of the demon vessels head, sending him sprawling.

Somehow, Naruto mustered the will power to get back on his feet. Agonizingly slowly he raised his blade above his head.

He could feel his grip falter, as his grasp was weak and loose around his blade. A painful battle cry was released as he gathered his remaining energy, swinging at the approaching woman. Kushina stopped the blades progress with a single finger, before she pushed it aside and smashed her forehead into Naruto's.

Naruto fell to his knees still clutching his blade tightly. A gasp escaped his parted lips followed by a dribble of blood streaming from the corners of his mouth. His blade fell to the ground, clanging as it hit the floor.

Kushina let go of her blade, leaving it sticking out of the blond's chest. Gracefully she strolled over to Naruto's side and picked up his blade.

"I made your life a paradise, it's only fair that your afterlife be a living hell." She said as she placed his sword atop of his neck.

She grinned before raising the blade and swinging it down with all her might.

The sound of steel cutting flesh echoed throughout the ruined village.

* * *

Terribly sorry for ending it here. I've already started on the next chapter and expect that one to be out in a week or two. I quite liked writing the fight scenes in this chapter.

Big thanks to Vassago-Toxicity, for fixing all my fuck ups.

So nows the part where I tell you all to read and review. Cause I love reviews.


	9. Worth Dying For

_When this thing breaks._

_I__ will be you_

_You will be me._

_I pray that this is really happening_

_When this thing breaks._

_I will be you_

_You will be me. _

_Let's hope this is short lived and riddled with disease_

_Underoath - Desperate times, Desperate measures _

**Chapter 9: Worth Dying For**

* * *

Wide sapphire eyes watched as blood dark as ink poured down his blemished cheeks. Naruto could feel each and every broken bone, and fractured ligament in his tattered body. Yet he knew the very substance dribbling down his face was not his own.

Starring wide eyed at the being who, not just ten seconds ago was trying to lob off his head, stumbled back until she backed into a wall, stopping her progress.

Her body was bent over with a defiant smirk straining across her face, and a blade running straight through her chest. She leaned against the wall for support, until her legs gave out and she slowly slid down the wall.

In many ways the two looked alike. Both were bruised and their breathing was ragged. Both were covered in blood, with the others sword piercing through their body.

Naruto licked his cracked lips and gulped. For a brief moment, he smiled sadly at the woman who considered herself his biological mother. That brought on a whole new train of thought for the demon vessel.

What if she really was his mother? Naruto wanted to scoff at the idea, but then what could explain her sparing his life and mortally wounding herself in the process? Why now did she have a calm and serene aura about her? When before, it was dark, evil, and reeked of insanity.

Naruto could only guess at what had caused such changes. His thin lips turned up into a bitter smile as he gazed intensely at the person crowding his every thought.

"Why?" Was all Naruto could whisper, before his throat cracked and a coughing fit racked his body. Kushina chuckled at her child before blood followed and flooded her mouth with its salty, metallic taste. She gagged on the vile liquid, until her mouth opened and she spit the wretched substance out.

"I love you." Kushina spoke softly, a look of intense concentration on her face as she tried to hold back the coughs clawing their way up her throat.

Naruto was stunned, knowing it was impossible, yet he still believed her. He truly believed what she said. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her. His resolve was shaken as he now looked at the beautiful goddess in a different view.

"None of this makes sense." Naruto was surprised his voice was no longer hoarse. He could feel strength returning to his weakened soul. His throat was no longer burning with the feeling of a blade digging at the edges every time he tried to speak. He still could not will any of his limbs to move, but the overwhelming pain had begun to dull.

Kushina's emerald eyes gazed into his own sea blue. She forced her body to stand, then limped her way to Naruto. Her legs were feeble and weak as she pushed her overexerted muscles. She stumbled before losing all remaining strength and falling to the floor.

Naruto tried to move in order to catch her, but his body was unresponsive. She hit the ground hard, a shock running through her body as she landed in front of her son.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Tears gathered in Kushina's eyes, her son, who denied his own heritage, was concerned for her well being. It brought a smile to her face, as her eyes stared at her child's exhausted form, his hands gripping the blade in his chest.

"I'm fine." Kushina replied. She reached out and briefly ran her hand over Naruto's whiskered cheek. After a few seconds her ghostly touch left his skin, her arm fell back to her side.

Naruto could feel tears building at the corners of his eyes. So, he closed his eyes and washed them away, before they could fall.

A few droplets managed to escape, sliding down Naruto's face to his chin, where they hung on for a few seconds before falling and becoming lost within the pool of blood accumulating beneath both mother and son.

The blondes left arm began twitching as a little feeling was beginning to return. He tried to move his fingers, but instead his arm twitched even more uncontrollably.

Kushina watched her child try to move and she could see the tear streaks staining his gorgeous face. She reached out again putting one hand on his left arm and the other to his cheek.

The second Naruto felt his mother's cold touch return to his burning skin, his arm stopped shaking, and numbness consumed all the aches throughout his body.

Naruto had never felt like this before, so at ease and safe. Just the gentle, protective hold Kushina had on him made him feel strange. Without his knowing, his eyes had closed and he was unconsciously leaning towards the woman who had almost succeeded in decapitating him.

Kushina wrapped her arm securely around her son's neck and leaned down to his ear.

"Listen, I have much to explain, and little time to do so." She whispered hoarsely .

Naruto's eyes shot open and he looked at Kushina with a confused expression. The blonde watched as she shook her head and chuckled.

"As much as I would like to stay with you I can't." Naruto felt even more confused than before.

"Why do you have to leave?" Naruto didn't consider the fact that she had been trying to kill him and take over his soul.

"Before I go, you need to know everything. Listen carefully, my sweet Naruto-kun, for I will not be able to repeat myself." Kushina said, ignoring her sons question.

Naruto's eyes were practically glued to his mother's form as she spoke in a soft and quiet tone.

"I hope you understand that I never wanted any of this, I always wished I would be able to help you grow up into a fine shinobi of the leaf." Kushina turned away from him and stared at the sunset.

"But, its seems we were cursed the day we decided to raise you in that god forsaken place." Blood slid down her hands as she clenched her fists so hard, that the nails were broke her skin.

"Ever since that day when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha…everything changed." Kushina's voice sounded hollow as she relieved the nightmarish night that had caused the destruction of her family.

"I'm so sorry we left you all alone Naruto. Both your father and I loved you with all of our hearts." Naruto blinked, stunned, as his mind comprehended the words she had just spoken.

"Who…who was my father?" He wanted to know. No, he needed to know who the man, that had left him to suffer the wrath of a village, was. How could anyone allow there child to be used as a scapegoat while they probably enjoyed a happy and joyous life?

She turned back to Naruto's trembling form. "Forgive me, but I cannot tell you."

A healthy glare was directed at her as Naruto's iris's bled to their crimson hue.

"I wish I could but…" She paused and looked down to hide her pained expression.

"Don't I have the right to know who the SON OF BITCH IS!? He left me to rot in that miserable place, where I received nothing but animosity and Hatred! If you really are my mother then do me this one favour…I beg of you!"

Naruto's voice fell to a whisper once again, his throat was aching from all of the shouting he was doing. Kushina felt as if her heart was being ripped in two, listening to her boys pain filled question. She desperately wanted to tell him all about his father and his unbelievable exploits, but she couldn't. It would only create more hatred within him, and she did not want to die knowing her child hated his father.

"I'm sorry, my child, but I must leave you again." Naruto felt his heart wrench in his chest.

She leaned forward and planted a loving kiss on his cheek. Naruto barely noticed as she ripped the steel in his chest out immediately after. She placed the hilt in the palm of his hands and forced him to close his fingers around it.

"You know what to do." She whispered as she lowered her head.

Tears welled up and slipped over the edge of his eyelids, and he immediately masked his face while tightening his grip around the blade, his hands shaking. He stood up with the blade still pointing towards Kushina.

"Please…" Naruto whispered. "Please don't leave me." The words were spoken so softly Kushina almost didn't hear them.

"I will always be with you Naruto-kun." Kushina said also rising to her feet. "As long as you remember me, I'll never disappear." She smiled sadly at him and closed her eyes. Her breathing evened out and when her eyes opened again her mind was decided. She flung herself forward, before Naruto could react, and engulfed him in a hug. Her arms were squeezing Naruto tightly and she rested her head on his chest.

"You fool, why did you do this?" Naruto spit harshly at his mother.

"Only one of us can exist…Goodbye, my baby boy. I love you." Kushina's body went limp in Naruto's arms. Her bright emerald eyes glazed over as she exhaled her last breathe.

Naruto held her close, ignoring the extra blood drenching the rest of his body. Pain, like a blender was tearing his insides apart. Tears fell, and Naruto did nothing to prevent them this time. Instead, he let out all of his pain and screamed for all he was worth.

"No, No, No, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. Don't leave me, Mother please…not again…I don't want to be alone anymore." Naruto yelled at the lifeless body in his arms. He began shaking her, as if she were only sleeping and she would wake up.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he gazed at his blood stained hands. His whole body began to shake, a look of pure terror settling onto the blondes face. He killed her. It was all done deliberately by his mother, but that didn't change the fact, or rid himself of the grief, knowing that he had dealt the final blow.

"I wanted to forget this...this loneliness. All the sadness that has been eating me away, piece by piece, my entire life…why did you, of all people, have to add more? Why...why…WHY?!"

Naruto did not move from his position for several minutes. He just cradled the woman in his tanned arms and wept.

After what seemed like days, but could possibly have been only a few minutes, he gently laid Kushina down on the ruined floorboards. His hand rested on her face for a moment, and he smiled a brilliant and dazzling smile at her. His hand ran down her tear stained cheeks to her bloodied chest, where two blades had pierced cleanly through her. One closer to her belly, but the other blade had been stabbed through where her heart would be.

Gently, Naruto removed both identical blades from her body. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I will always love you, Kaasan."

Naruto stumbled backwards, surprise written across his face, as the body in front of him morphed and changed into burning crimson energy. It boiled and crackled until the entire body evaporated and nothing remained of his mother.

Naruto didn't make a sound as the inferno surrounded him and latched unto his skin. He watched silently as it engulfed his entire body, forcing itself to combine with him. Naruto grunted and fell to his knees, as his strength left him. Hissing through the agony of the burning energy, he used all of his remaining strength to stand to his feet.

One thought was running through his head as his body was being roasted alive.

'_Kyuubi…your such a show off.'_ He thought to himself as his vision was getting hazy. His eyes slowly got heavier and heavier, until darkness consumed him and he crashed to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

A man with blonde hair reaching his shoulders and wearing the Hokage's robes entered the hospital wing, where his darling wife had just given birth to their precious child.

Minato watched as his wife's breathing became erratic and weak. Her chest was barely rising and her complexion looked so pale. Tears were gathered in his cerulean orbs but he refused to let them fall, he was, after all, a shinobi and current Hokage of Konoha, the strongest of the five nations.

With the training of only the most experienced of ninja, he silently approached his wife's bedside without a sound echoing through the room.

His left hand came out from underneath his robes and he pushed away a strand of her crimson locks that was matted to her forehead. Minato noted that her face was covered in sweat and there was so much blood staining the white hospital sheets she was laying on.

"Kushina." His voice was filled with sadness as he quietly called out to his wife. "Kushina, you have to wake up, there's someone here who wants to meet you."

Her eyes slowly opened and locked onto her husbands blurry form. She knew from that moment that something was wrong, the awkward stance and the look on his face told her that much.

"What's. wrong? Where...where is he… Minato?" Minato almost broke down right there in front of her at the sound of her hoarse voice.

"Everything's fine love, he's right here. He's been waiting for you to wake up." Minato said soothingly, as he produced a small bundle from underneath his Hokage battle robes.

Naruto was laid gently into her awaiting arms, where he was held weakly against her chest. Kushina smiled as she gazed at her sons small form and bright sea blue eyes. To her he was the most beautiful thing in the entire world.

"Naruto…my sweet baby boy." The mother shinobi murmured softly.

That was the last thing Kushina saw as her eyes closed and she died holding her newborn son.

* * *

Everything was black. Kushina's eyes roamed around in circles, as she observed the only village she would ever call her true home. The place where she fell in love, got married and gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Except now, everything was different, this place was wrong.

It was no longer the Konoha she remembered, it had changed significantly. She did not remember the world ever being so dark and bland. This place held no color, it was all black and white. At first, Kushina had expected that her current surroundings were the cause of a powerful genjutsu. That idea was tossed away at once when she tried numerous times to release herself. She tried everything to escape, but nothing would work.

After a few minutes of sitting on the hospital bed where she had awoken a thought crossed her mind. Naruto, where was her child? Getting up, she made her way through the hospital room and into the hallway. As she ventured down, through the deserted halls, she had to wonder where all the doctors and nurses had gone.

There were plenty of people working when she was admitted to the Hospital, but now it seemed as though everyone had left to find a better place for shelter.

Kushina held in a gasp when she reached the entrance and ventured outside. So much destruction and dead bodies. Her eyes widened as she stared at the body of a young man, probably no older then twenty. This wasn't the cause of her concern, most ninja expected to die at such a young age. This man was lucky to have lived as long as he had. No, what shocked her was that his blood the usual scarlet liquid that she had grown so accustom to, was black.

She walked aimlessly through Konoha, examining all of the wreckage and chaos that the Kyuubi had caused. This was the only option left to her now. To wander until, hopefully, death would claim her...that or insanity. She had never felt so alone in a village that used to be filled with so much life.

Kushina did not know what was happening, and, frankly, it scared her. What worried the red head was that it seemed no one could see her: that she was a ghost. She had run into a group of civilians abandoning their homes to escape the great demons wrath.

Numerous times she had offered her assistance to help the villagers, but they acted as if she simply did not exist. Kushina was a good shinobi with a caring heart, but the one thing she could not stand was being ignored. So, her reaction to the situation was expected. She marched up to the group and tried to grab a man by the collar of his shirt. Instead, her hand had simply passed through, as if he was nothing but air.

After that incident, she had tested herself and discovered she could pass through anything: buildings, trees, people. This is how she came to the conclusion that she had died on October 10th. The day she gave birth to a blond haired boy named Naruto. Grasping her chest, she fell to her knees and sobbed. It was just too much to take.

For the rest of her son's life, he would celebrate his birthday by mourning the loss of the parents he never knew. She knew all about her husband, the Yondaime Hokage's, plan to defeat the unstoppable force waiting just outside the gates of Konoha. So, she was certain that the village would survive this tragedy at the lose of only a few hundred shinobi and their current leader.

The world had never seemed as dark to her as it did right now. She had never been afraid of the dark. In fact, she used to welcome it. Darkness was a ninja's greatest asset, they could hide easier and it made assassinations child's play. Now, however, this looming darkness was not welcomed nor wanted. She loathed it. Just once, she wanted to see the hair that was brighter than the sun, those eyes that rivaled the sea in color, the smile that no other could match and the touch that warmed her heart and soul.

Kushina eyes widened slightly and shifted to the direction she could see the great demon was situated.

Her feet started moving, taking her closer to the battlefield, where her husband would be facing off against the demon.

Something was twitching in the back of her head, and just so happened to be drawing her to the two people she wanted to see the most. As she drew closer to her husband's location, she could see the toad boss Gamabunta.

On the very top off the chief toad's head, a bright glow was illuminating around the form of a man. Kushina felt a shock run through her and the next instant she was atop of the amphibian. The glow was getting brighter with each second that passed. Moving closer,

Kushina saw her husband standing still with ghostly arms coming out of his chest.

It felt as if she could feel the presence of death itself from him. A babies cry broke her from her stupor, and she rushed to Minato's side. Again, she was graced with the gorgeous tiny form of her beloved son. Wrapping her ghostly arms around him she closed her eyes, before a bright flash covered the entire battlefield.

When the light receded, all that remained was the body of the deceased Hokage and the crying infant in his arms.

* * *

Kushina's head was spinning when she finally woke up. Clutching her aching skull, she looked around her new surroundings. She was in an empty room that was flooded with water. Trekking through the knee deep liquid, she eventually discovered a see through mirror that was displaying the previous Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a frown marring his aged face.

For the next few years, Kushina would stay in this same room locked inside of Naruto's mind, watching his life unfold before her eyes.

She could feel their hatred through the cold stares and their spiteful words. They were all around her, yelling and cursing her very existence. There was almost no light or life left within her. Over six years of dealing with the emotional abuse of the villagers of Konoha was driving her insane. She could never rest, she was always awake and living through a nightmare. Loneliness consumed her whole and was picking her apart. She knew this was just the beginning of her long existence of suffering.

Glancing around, there was no one around. It seemed Naruto had escaped the hoodlums chasing him and made it to a dark alleyway to hide. Kushina watched as he deemed it safe enough to head home to the apartment the Hokage had paid for him to live in, after he was thrown out of the orphanage. Kushina slowly approached the mirror feeling slightly self-conscious.

A teenager jumped out a nearby store and grabbed Naruto before he could escape and pinned him to the ground. Kushina closed her eyes and screamed as she felt so much anger and hatred consume her. So much she wanted to just stop and let all of the pain leave, but that was not possible. She was not about to let those foolish villagers corrupt her son and turn him into a monster. So with tears streaming down her face she once again consumed Naruto's darkest emotions. Only so he could keep his innocence and live each day with that smile that could brighten the night.

She had decided long ago she would endure all the emotional trauma, for the sake of the child she loves with all her heart. That didn't stop a small part of her from breaking away from these thoughts, nor did it stop it from starting to hate the being that was causing her life to be a living hell.

After another six long, torturous years passed Kushina's mind split into two personalities. One that adored the demon vessel and another that wished for nothing more then to see him screaming as he died a slow and painful death by her hands. With each day that passed, the dark side slowly overpowered the other.

* * *

Kyuubi stood grinning at the blonde haired clone of himself. "Finally awakened, have we?" Naruto was sitting in front of the fox with his head buried in his hands.

"She was protecting me Kyuubi. SHE WENT THROUGH HELL…because of me." Naruto accepted the offered limb from Kyuubi and used the fox's arm to pull himself from the cold floor.

Kyuubi snorted at the blond. "A mother's love is a crazy and unpredictable thing." Grunting in agreement, Naruto stared at the being across from him.

"She said you were dead. So then, how are…" Naruto paused as Kyuubi held up his hand.

"Even after she told you to pay attention, you still didn't listen to her words carefully, did you?" Naruto knew it wasn't a question.

"Well, do you remember the part where she said only one can exist?" Naruto nodded his head.

"She was referring to me, not you." Kyuubi smirked at Naruto's shocked expression.

"Yes, idiot. She knew the evil within her would take control again. So, she sacrificed herself to safe you." Kyuubi pointed at Naruto to illustrate his point. "She was a danger to the both of us as long as she existed within you!"

Naruto felt as if his mind would explode if he had to deal with any more surprises today. His attention returned to his father's chuckling form as he stared curiously at him.

"What's so fucking hilarious?" Naruto questioned curiously.

"Nothing…just...that...you have a very…pissed off group of hollows waiting for you outside." Kyuubi struggled to say as he continued laughing at Naruto's misfortune.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Instead of answering, Kyuubi flashed a toothy grin before waving his hand, flinging the blonde out of his mindscape.

Naruto blinked, and his carbon copy was replaced with his Sensei. Aizen was slightly panting and his captain robes were torn and burnt. In other words, it looked like he had just fought off all of Soul Society.

Naruto turned and finally noticed that they were outside and the surrounding area was littered with scorch marks and craters. Both he and Aizen were standing in the middle of a ring of hollows that surrounded them, and they were all staring at him like he was going to attack them at any moment.

"Naruto-kun, you always seem to find a way to impress me." Aizen said his astonishment visible.

"Hmmm…and what exactly have I done this time to earn your praise Sensei?" Naruto asked as he turned back to the smiling shinigami.

"Ahh…now that's too easy of a question Naruto-kun." Aizen said. "I'm sure, if you took the time to examine your appearance, you'd have a better understanding of my surprise."

Naruto stared at the grinning shinigami before averting his eyes down to his body, and he was shocked.

* * *

I really had no other choice but to end it here I swear. (Laughs when no ones looking)

Okay, now I would greatly appreciate it if people would respond and tell me how I did with explaining the drastic change in Naruto's personality.

Basically to summarize it; Kushina was drawn into the seal with the Kyuubi, but she was sealed to a different part of Naruto. As he grew up, Kushina was absorbing all of Naruto's dark emotions and feelings so he wouldn't lose his innocence at such a young age. Basically, that's my reason to why he was so cheerful in life and now he's much darker in death. Since Kushina is no longer protecting him, thus the reason he can kill and feel almost no emotion doing so.

Well, that was truly a headache to write since I had to cover character development which I suck at. I know it was probably boring without the fight scenes, but every chapter can't be filled with action. Until next time read, review and tell me how much you love me.

Before I go I almost forgot to mention about the new forum that has been started by LD 1449. Basically it's a place for author's to discuss ideas and to help each other to write and improve on there stories. The link can be found in my profile at the top, since for some reason I'm not able to post it here.

* * *


	10. Out To Get You

_These eyes have strained,_

_these eyes they focus on blood and hate._

_Control myself,_

_this memory that will not fade away._

_In Every Breath - Distrust_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Out To Get You**

* * *

Rain, it seemed like the very gods themselves were against them. It had been three days since Minato Namikaze had assembled a search party in the hopes of locating his missing child. Eight official ranked shinigami had left Sereitai six days ago, in hopes of escaping their monotonous duties of being a shinigami.

This mission was supposed to be their chance for a real adventure, but not all things are as great as people believe them to be. This was one of those times, as only five members of the original party remained to endure through the cold wind and troublesome rain.

The first four days were spent finding and purifying stray hollows that ventured into the world. Minato had hoped that they would run into the man that had commanded the army of fox hollows, and single-handedly took out a squadron of shinigami.

When that particular idea failed, Kakashi, the third seat, had recommended returning to the original spot where Naruto was first seen. After fifteen minutes or so of hiking up Mount Fuji they could see the peak of the mountain approaching.

"How much further Kakashi?" Said a blonde haired shinigami captain.

"The Forest of death should be on the other side of the mountain." Replied a man with silver hair that defied gravity, and a mask that hid the bottom half of his face.

Minato turned to said man with a frown etched on his tanned skin.

"Kakashi…your absolutely positive about this?" Kakashi cast a critical eye to his captain's direction before moving to Minato's side in an amazing display of speed. He whispered into the blondes ear and Minato responded with a nod.

Minato raised his hand into the air and signaled for the group to come to a stop. Each shinigami halted in their movements and instantly stood still, on the shifting granite beneath their feet.

"Okay, we've got at least four hours of sunlight left. So we continue on until the moon ascends. From there we'll make camp and rest for three hours, which I suggest you all take advantage of, because from then on we move until dawn." Once receiving four nods Minato flickered before his form completely vanished.

He appeared at the edge of a great forest known by many today as the Forest of Death.

The second he heard the distinct sound of grass bending under four sets of feet he leapt away, landing on a tree branch, pumping his legs full of reishi he leapt again from where he landed and traveled twice the distance of his first jump. His subordinates following closely behind him keeping up perfectly with his quick pace.

The process continued for a long time as the team of shinigami kept jumping from tree to tree, scouting the area. No matter how much they looked, all they could see was trees, leaves, and...blood? Coming to a stop, Minato quickly leapt from the canopy and landed softly on the ground below. Four other figures soon joined him standing around a pool of dried up blood.

"Taicho should we…" Jiraiya was quick to stop talking by the look on his leaders face.

Minato had his eyes closed and couldn't help but feel he was missing something, something very important. He remembered this exact spot, where so many shinigami had fallen before a man dressed in a black ANBU style outfit. The very same man he engaged in battle and stared into his dark crimson slit eyes.

His face was scrunched up as he tried to remember what he had seen, what had happened at this exact location. Then he remembered, it struck him like a lightning bolt and he scooted back until he was leaning against the side of tree. When his attacker had smirked at him, before escaping, his eyes had momentarily changed blue.

He pushed off the tree and turned to his third seat. "Kakashi, do you remember anything about your battle?" Minato said quickly. "Anything at all?"

Minato's lips were drawn into a thin line and he seemed to be peering straight through his third seat and directly into his soul with his startling blue eyes. Kakashi didn't even blink before responding.

"Just that he wore a black ANBU styled cloak, and he had the eyes of a fox..." His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Minato-Sensei, you don't actually believe that…Naruto is?" Kakashi's blood turned cold as he stared at his taicho's blank face.

Jiraiya looked concerned as he gazed intensely at both of his friends in life and death.

"Minato! What is going on?"

Minato flinched slightly at the tone of his friends voice. It was the same tone he had used whenever the two of them argued. It was a voice that left no room for discussion, when Jiraiya used that tone he meant business.

"Naruto...he…"

Minato just could not bring himself to say it. To think they had spent close to a week searching for a person that had sided with the enemy. It was sickening feeling to know his son was against them all and had sided with those hideous creatures.

"He stabbed me through the chest, my own student and friend tried to kill me." Kakashi blurted out.

"Uh...um...Minato-Taicho does this mean the investigation is over and will be heading back to Sereitai?" Natsu Tsunami suggested not understanding, at all, what her superiors were discussing. She seemed to shrink back and hide behind her friend, when three powerful, unnerving glares were directed at her.

Minato reached into his robes and after a little effort of searching each of its ten inside pockets finally retrieved a small black device. Flicking it open he pressed a single button and placed the soul-phone to his ear.

"Natsu Tsunami, of the third division and Hachi Kaneda of the sixth division will be returning immediately." He said after a moments pause into the phone.

He grunted something else into the device that sounded like a yes, then closed it and placed the small item safely back into his robes.

Natsu and Kaneda both stood frozen with surprised expressions.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Get going, your dismissed!" The blonde snapped. Minato knew the two had the right to be shocked. Since it wasn't often he yelled and talked to people the way he just did. As most captains of Sereitai spoke, as if they were superior and everyone else was below them and not worth giving the time of day too.

Kaneda bowed stiffly and walked away like any dignified shinigami, Natsu unfortunately stayed behind and stared at her captain with her jaw on the ground. A cough from Kakashi seemed to shake the girl out of her stupor and she turned hurt brown eyes away from the man she admired, and stormed off after her friend.

Sighing Minato turned to his companions. "Maybe I was a little to harsh on her." Jiraiya and Kakashi both just shook there heads.

"Sensei…what are we going to do. I mean knowing Naruto's, you know…do we quit?" Kakashi asked nervously.

"I got to agree with Kakashi kid." Jiraiya said with a small nod. "Naruto is no longer who he used to be, he very well could be a hollow himself."

Jiraiya was taken by surprised when the blonde appeared in front of him with his hands clenching his shinigami robes tightly.

"You're wrong Jiraiya! I've seen him and he's no beast!" Minato snarled in fury at his former sensei.

"Okay, okay Minato calm down, I love Naruto too like my own grandson." He said in a placating manner to calm the enraged shinigami captain.

Minato released his grasp on Jiraiya and shun-po'd away from the immediate area. Jiraiya and Kakashi waited patiently as they heard crashes, booms and yells. They both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders in nonchalance. Both had come to the same conclusion without words, that their captain was taking some of his agitation out on some poor defenseless trees.

Minato returned a few minutes later looking flustered, and this in itself was a surprise to the other two shinigami. Growing up with the charismatic blonde had taught them that he was never serious or concerned unless he was making no breakthroughs with his techniques, or his loved ones were in danger.

"I swear I'll kill them, I'll break each and every one of those bastards masks!" Both members of the third division were stunned at hearing the harsh words from there captain.

"With my Zanpaktuo I will you avenge you Naruto, I promise!" Minato said as he paced furiously back and forth.

Deciding he couldn't stand anymore of his Sensei's pacing and violent outbursts Kakashi decided to intervene.

"Sensei…" Kakashi paused and mimicked the actions of his fellow members and stared in the direction where Natsu and Kaneda had gone.

Minato had a terrible feeling in his gut as he felt the reiatsu of not only Natsu, but that of a hollow. An extremely powerful hollow, if he was to guess he'd probably say it was a...

"Adjuchas."

As the words left his trembling lip, all three shinigami members of third division disappeared via shun-po.

* * *

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques circled his downed opponent, growling at the bloodied shinigami.

"Tch...didn't anybody ever teach you not to mess with your superiors shinigami?" Grimmjow asked in a taunting manner.

The Adjuchas scoffed as the pathetic shinigami rose to her feet, her blade was shaking in her trembling hands as it was clear she was fighting a battle just to hold the blade.

"All of you are the same, weak pathetic mortals who think they're strong," Grimmjow drawled. "because ya have shiny toys."

Grimmjow again clicked his tongue in a childish manner as the shinigami mustered up the courage to glare at him. Releasing a small margin of his reiatsu, the girls legs buckled but held against the pressure.

Natsu panted, heaving breaths as she tried to fight against the force bearing down upon her. However, it was all for nothing as exhaustion claimed her and she crumbled underneath the might of the hollow before her.

Never before had she ever fought a hollow as strong as this panther. Natsu was terrified as the hollow stared at her with disgust and loathing. The moment her opponent stopped pacing in front of her she knew without a doubt she was going to die.

"Well, it seems the cavalry is on its way, so that means I have to cut our time short shinigami!" Grimmjow said as he stalked closer to Natsu, like a predator would it's prey.

He smirked exposing gleaming razor sharp teeth. Natsu closed her eyes picturing an image of her captain, the man she loved and respected more then any other soul in the world.

* * *

Minato arrived first, just in time to witness panther-hollow finish off Natsu, one of the only three female members in his division.

"Yuck! Should have known she'd be disgusting, the weak ones always are." The blonde's eyes became as cold as ice as he glared at the smirking creature.

"I would have been merciful and offered you a quick death, but now you will suffer the pain you have inflicted upon my friend, beast!" Grinning Grimmjow intercepted the captain in mid shun-po and smashed one of his mighty paws against the blondes Zanpaktuo.

Sparks flew as Minato's blade grinded against the panthers large claws. Minato struck out with his leg, nailing Grimmjow in the gut and drove his blade through the hollows sternum.

Blood exploded staining the achromatic panther a dark crimson. Viciously Minato removed his blade from the withering hollows body and with a yellow flash Grimmjow was colliding with a tree.

Slowly Grimmjow got back on his feet, his wounds already healing. He glanced to where his opponent was and found that he was gone. Leaping to the side Grimmjow avoided another downward strike from his target.

Hollow opened its mouth wide and a large amount of reishi gathered, forming a small red orb of energy.

Reiatsu surged through Minato, his body blurred, vanishing in an instant and reappearing behind the panther.

Grimmjow felt the blade pierce through his muzzle and his eyes were wide as the energy he had been forming was now burning the inside of his mouth. Minato continued down with his thrust and slammed the point of the blade into the ground.

With Grimmjow's mouth now clamped shut, his focus was no longer on sustaining the cero he had been previously creating. So the energy was unstable and with no other way for the energy to escape the cero exploded, tearing Grimmjow apart.

Minato landed a few feet away from the pieces of the hollow. Jiraiya and Kakashi came flying out of the distance and skid to halt right beside him. The blonde didn't blink or even turn to acknowledge their presence. He had his gaze fixed on the crater where the explosion had occurred.

Minato narrowed his eyes as the ground started to shift and the top half of the panther emerged.

"You're one sneaky bastard I'll admit that much." Minato growled out in annoyance, but he had to give the hollow credit, for it was the beasts own quick thinking that had saved him from being completely destroyed. Not many of these creatures had the minds to think, all they cared for was devouring souls to gain more power.

However, if he was to guess then most Adjuchas probably had the same intelligence as any normal soul, or at least this one did. Not even he thought that the panther would swallow the cero so when the energy exploded it would only blow the bottom half, leaving the hollows head unharmed.

Minato eased himself into a low crouched stance as he prepared to finish the hollow off. His eyes darted to the left as three horrendous and injured looking hollows appeared.

"Holy hell Grimmjow, there's only half of you!" Exclaimed a boisterous and large ape like hollow.

"Shut the hell up, and help me up so I can finish them will ya." Said an infuriated panther, as he motioned to the shinigami standing directly across from the group of hollows.

All three hollows looked up and eyed the three shinigami as if just realizing they were even there

Minato acted quickly and brought his left hand forward yelling, "Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo 75: Gochuutekkan!" Instantly, all the hollows were immobilized as five giant pillars materialized around the group boxing them in a pentagonal field, rendering the four hollows helpless.

Minato wiped his brow as a large amount of sweat was pouring down his dirtied face.

Jiraiya quickly assessed the situation and came to the sad realization that Natsu, and Kaneda were both devoured by the now trapped hollows.

"Kid what do you think about my shikai?" Jiraiya laughed. "I think its finally time I showed it to you."

Minato shared his sensei's smirk as Jiraiya pulled his Zanpakuto from it's scabbard.

"Ink: Golden Quill." The toad hermit muttered. Instantly black lines spread from the hilt and travelled to the very tip of the blade. When the transformation was complete the hilt was wrapped in golden feathers and the blade appeared as if someone had drawn thousands of seals upon it.

Stabbing his blade into the ground, Jiraiya yelled out loudly "Sealing art 3: Ink Sewing!" The symbols on the blade began to move until four tendrils of black ink extended from the blade and traveled along the ground, heading straight for the immobile hollows.

The fastest tendril reached the ape like hollow first and pierced a hole straight through it's mask, killing it instantly. The other two were next and finally the last tendril reached Grimmjow and climbed up his body, heading for his head.

Reaching the hollow's face the ink hardened and was about to kill the Adjuchas, when Minato grabbed Jiraiya and pulled him to the ground, just as a tremendous cero blast passed overhead.

The tendril retracted immediately and returned to the Zanpakuto stuck in the ground.

Clapping followed as a man dressed in white, wearing a plain stark white hollow mask, walked towards the panther still being held by the kido spell.

"I must say, you have an impressive ability shinigami." His voice was neither loud nor soft. It was just at a level that you could hear every word the mystery being spoke.

He reached out with one hand and touched one of the five pillars with a single finger. The effect was instantaneous as the five pillars glowed with a crimson hue before shattering into millions of different pieces.

"Who exactly are you?" Minato questioned calmly, not at all disturbed with the fact his powerful kido spell was destroyed effortlessly.

"But your Zanpaktuo has one major flaw." Naruto remarked with a knowing smirk, ignoring the question directed at him.

"If you lose concentration your attacks will immediately cease, as you need to direct such attacks with your own spiritual energy." A predatory grin spread across his face.

"Explaining why my dear friend Grimmjow here, does not have a hole through his head."

Stepping closer to the gawking shinigami Naruto carefully placed his palm against the cold porcelain mask adorning his face.

He held the mask at his side and glanced at the three souls before him with sparkling sapphire eyes.

Jiraiya and Kakashi both gasped at his appearance while Minato just stared at the being in front of him as if he were looking into a mirror.

"Long time eh? Jiraiya, Kakashi." Shifting his gaze to the stunned blonde shinigami, Naruto's eyes narrowed and bled crimson. "Father."

"Naruto, what the hell are you?" Kakashi questioned while getting back on his feet.

Casting a quick glance at his former Sensei. Naruto's eyes changed back to their normal radiant blue.

"I thought that would be obvious by now." He scoffed, clearly annoyed. "I'm what you shinigami call a hollow."

That stunned all three shinigami as they stared at Naruto in confusion.

"Of course, I'm the first of new breed of hollows, an Arrancar." He said with a toothy grin.

"And just what exactly is an Arrancar?" Jiraiya questioned his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well I'd love to stand around all day and chat but," Naruto drawled. "I'm a very busy man." the blonde hollow stated viciously.

Both Jiraiya and Kakashi gasped and stepped back, as raw energy and bloodlust flooded the forest.

Naruto placed his mask to his face, and let his hand fall to his side.

"For your sakes, I hope you don't blink." Naruto said, pointing his hands towards the three soul reapers, discreetly cutting his pointing finger with his thumb.

All of there stances became a bit tighter as they recognized the crimson orb gathering at the hollow's fingertips.

With a silent sigh Naruto unleashed his attack. "Gran Rey Cero!" He all but whispered as the red beam fired from his finger, the blood on it mixing with the cero, and becoming a giant beam heading for the three shinigami. Dust and debris flew in every direction, but Naruto paid that no mind as he rushed forward and vanished with 'Sonido'

Appearing in front of Kakashi he hit the masked individual with a palm strike to the chest. Before Kakashi could make it very far Naruto was above him, another cero already forming on his pinkie.

Jiraiya saw the red beam strike Kakashi, and he ran as fast as he could hoping to catch the falling shinigami before he hit the ground. Jiraiya didn't see or notice when he started to fall or that he had even been hit before his vision blackened and he fell to the forest floor unconscious.

Minato didn't flinch or move when a white form landed in front of him. "Then there was only one." Naruto stated blandly, as he eyed the man on his knees.

Sapphire met crimson once again as both hollow and shinigami stood completely still there gazes burning into the others. Naruto broke away first and nailed his father in the jaw with his fist.

"That was for my mother." Naruto said his gaze burning with hatred.

Minato eyes were glazed over as he returned his eyes to look at his son. "Kushina?" Before he knew what happened his head was hit again and he was barrelling through a tree.

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!" Naruto yelled in anger, his Reiatsu spiking, blanketing the forest in uncontrolled spiritual pressure.

Minato hit the ground rolling, he flipped back getting to his feet. He had barely a second to notice a blurry form approaching, before he found himself pinned to a tree.

"Naruto please…stop this, I love you…son." The blonde shinigami said weakly, tears building in his eyes, his hands gripping Naruto's arm.

The entire tree was shaking, as Naruto's body trembled. "You love me." He said, starring at the man in his grasp through narrowed eyes.

"You don't deserve my love." Naruto growled his grip tightening around his fathers neck.

Minato met his sons furious stare as his child raised a clenched fist preparing to finish him. Closing his eyes he accepted his fate.

One second he could feel the cold darkness consuming him, the next he was lying on the forest floor his son a few feet away decimating everything around him with constant barrages of cero blasts.

Trees were uprooted from the strong gusts or burned to ash, by the destructive force of energy.

"Cherish your life father, for you only live because she wouldn't have wanted me to kill you!" Naruto said coldly before his form vanished.

Minato blinked before closing his eyes and passing out against the only tree in the vicinity which was left unharmed.

* * *

"Damnit!" Naruto cursed as he destroyed another weak hollow. He was so consumed by anger he didn't notice the three beings closing around him until they were in plain sight.

"Ulquiorra, Szayel, Nnoitra, what do you want?" The blonde asked, his eyes darting back and forth between the Adjuchas class hollows.

Naruto could sense the spiritual pressure of all three hollows raising significantly, as they silently approached.

"Aizen-Sama, has ordered us to capture you alive Uzumaki Naruto." Ulquiorra stated calmly.

Naruto would have laughed had anyone else said that to him, but coming from Ulquiorra he knew it was the truth.

Without hesitating he dashed forward aiming to remove the biggest threat first. Drawing his blue steeled katana, the blonde drove it forward slicing the stoic hollow in half. Naruto's eyes widened as he sliced through an after image of Ulquiorra.

Time seemed to stop as blood erupted from the blondes head, and his mask split down the middle.

* * *

Okay here's the edited version, and yes I've taken most of your advice and changed the four hollows from Vasto Lordes to Adjuchas.

About Jiraiya's Zanpaktuo name well lets just say I'm not good with naming things and leave it at that. His attack "Ink Sewing" is based of Shikimaru's jutsu "Shadow Sewing"

If anyone can think of any good names and abilities for Kakashi, and Minato's Zanpaktuo let me know. Cause you never know I might just use your ideas, and of course I'd give you full credit.

I have an important announcement to make, there is only one more chapter to go until I skip to canon. I'm so excited, I've literally been waiting for this since I started writing this fic.

Finally how many of you were expected the end of this chapter. I really am sorry for leaving you all with such horrible cliff hangers. Please read and review, I'd appreciate it.


	11. Set In Motion

_There is no telling what we'll do for ourselves._

_Forget about the rest._

_This isn't what I had in mind._

_I can't forget the feeling._

_Things are not always what they seem._

_This place confuses me._

_-- Inhale, Exhale - I Needed A Space Ship (Instead I Got Problems)_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Set in Motion**

* * *

Standing up, Naruto stumbled forwards. Reaching out with his hands, he only just caught the edge of Kyuubi's throne. He leaned over it until his body gave and he fell on the chair, not enough energy left to hold himself up.

Kyuubi stood on the stairs leading up to the throne, watching his counterparts every movement. Sighing tiredly, the great demon climbed up the steps, stopping in front of the blond sprawled out across his seat.

"Normally, I would tell you how pathetic you are...but," Pausing, the demon sighed again. "You're dying boy." Kyuubi spoke softly.

Naruto languidly opened his eyes. Squinting at the fox, he sat still, because he didn't have enough strength to speak or move.

"I guess it is a fitting end for you." Kyuubi admitted. "Betrayal seems to be your calling."

Naruto grumbled as he was lifted from the seat and into the demon lord's arms. He looked into the Kyuubi's eyes and he could see the disgust reflecting back. No doubt it took a great deal of the demon's pride to do such an act. Which left the blonde feeling cold inside. Kyuubi showing sympathy for him? Maybe he actually was dying.

Naruto grunted as they began to descend from the throne. The blonde had a million questions to ask his look a like, but instead he simply closed his eyes, exhaustion overcoming him. He fell asleep in the nine tailed fox's arms.

* * *

"He's your most loyal subordinate. Why are you doing this?" Naruto's eyes snapped open at the sound of his friends voice.

"Nel-chan, I'm afraid that is classified information," Aizen spoke in calm tone. "and you're not permitted to be in this room, so if you would please…" Aizen finished in a smug tone as he gestured towards the door.

Neliel was shocked and looked at everyone in the room. "YOU'RE ALL HORRIBLE!" She all but shouted.

"I know but…" Aizen drawled. "This world is not kind to the weak Nel-chan." he spoke with a smile.

Nel grit her teeth together as she listened to the explanation Aizen gave for experimenting on her personal friend.

"Oh, you're just a great leader, aren't you…" Nel said sarcastically.

"I am...to those strong enough to accept the needed sacrifices to obtain power that was believed to be unattainable." He smirked.

She marched up to the calm man and gripped his robes. "Do you enjoy acting so callous toward your comrades?" She said frostily.

"Do you ever think about what you're doing!?" She questioned. "Had you ordered him, Naruto would have stormed the gates of hell without hesitation!" Nel ended, her eyes burning with fury.

"Neliel, you don't seem to understand. When we're done here, anyone who opposes us, will burn like paper in an inferno." Gin stated, his creepy smile present on his face.

Nel spared the purple haired shinigami a glance before returning her attention to the man still in her grasp.

"Nel-chan. Regardless of your emotions we are going to continue, so I suggest you accept the inevitable." Aizen said in an aggressive tone, indicating he was no longer amused by her actions.

"If you believe I'm going to stand around and allow you to kill him, then you're a fool." She growled ferociously as Aizen grabbed her arm and removed it from his captain robes.

"Then you leave me with no other alternative." Sighing Aizen threw her across the room. Nel flipped In mid air, redirecting her landing position. The moment her feet touched the floor she charged forwards, heading straight for the smiling visage of Aizen Sosuke.

"Ulquiorra." Aizen said, his smile still intact, even as the raging hollow was about to ram him through with its horns.

Ulquiorra appeared in front Neliel and batted her away like a fly. Nel hit the ground hard, she rolled for a few feet before digging her feet and claws into the ground, trying to halt her momentum. Her efforts were in vain as she crashed into a pillar of stone and was buried underneath debris.

Nel exploded from under the pile of stone she was buried beneath and snarled at the apathetic hollow who had defended a shinigami.

"Why?" She asked, confused by his loyalty.

"It is what Aizen-sama wishes." Ulquiorra replied blandly.

"Are you stupid? If he'll do that to Naruto, what's to stop him from killing us all?" She shouted. Nel couldn't believe anyone would follow a lunatic who would dispose of them if it was a convenience.

"It is not my right to judge Aizen-Sama actions. However, I will judge those who try to hinder his goals." Ulquiorra said scornfully as he stared at the fuming hollow. It was obvious to him what she was trying to accomplish. To turn him against Aizen, in hopes that the two would be able to overcome the shinigami. He was no fool though, such an act of disloyalty would warrant nothing but his death. He was happier serving those stronger then himself, than being slain.

"Foolish." Ulquiorra muttered narrowing his eyes as Neliel went on the offensive again.

Nel's eyes were red with rage as she galloped forth, not caring that she was outmatched in numbers and skill. She made it four feet before she fell to her knees, blood streaming down her face.

"Nnoitra please escort Nel-chan outside." Aizen spoke politely.

Nnoitra nodded as he hit the centuar again, and her consciousness was whisked away. The pray mantis like hollow, known as Nnoitra, caught her before she fell and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Oh… and make sure she remains alive Nnoitra." Aizen hollered as both hollows disappeared from view.

"Well that was quite entertaining, wouldn't you say so Ulquiorra?" Aizen questioned, his attitude neutral and seemingly unaffected by the events that had just transpired.

"Yes…Aizen-Sama." The hollow in question nodded before exiting the room, leaving only Gin, Aizen and Naruto remaining.

Aizen approached Naruto shaking his head the entire way. "Ah…Naruto-kun I'm sorry if we disturbed you from your slumber."

Naruto just stared at his once trusted friend and Sensei, his eyes cold and empty. It hurt, knowing this man had planned, from the beginning, to use him. Betrayal was not a new experience to the blonde. In fact, his life used to revolve around it. It seemed that no matter where he went, what he did, or how he acted, people would always use him, and then discard him like trash.

His thoughts were interrupted as the back stabbing shinigami approached from the side, with a needle that was attached to a tube in his hands.

"Aizen-Sama, we've been able to draw out fifty percent of the Kyuubi's power." Gin 's voice echoed from somewhere else in the room.

Humming, Aizen walked toward the blonde, the needle glinting dangerously in his hand. "I must say Naruto-kun, you most certainly have the largest amount of energy I've ever seen stored inside of you." He commented in an offhanded manner.

Naruto watched, wide eyed, as Aizen brought the needle closer to his skin. Gently, the point of the needle glided down his bare chest, leaving a small trail of blood in its wake. Aizen kept his smug smile as he dug the needle into the blonde.

Naruto jerked, his body beginning to spasm as a red substance began to funnel through the tube in his side. Aizen laughed as he strolled away, ignoring the cold, almost bloodthirsty killer intent be directed at his back.

"We have a long night ahead of us, Naruto-kun." Aizen called over his shoulder, even as he left the blonde's sight. Naruto scoffed, he knew that bastard was no doubt going to find that creepy, violet haired shinigami, what was his name? Gin, Ichimaru Gin.

He wanted to escape these restraints, hunt them down, and make them burn by the very power that they so desperately yearned for. Naruto coughed as another jolt of pain racked his frame. It seemed that in his condition he wouldn't be moving anywhere for a very long time, if at all ever again. Looking down at himself, his eyes widened. All over his body similar tubes were drawing his reiatsu out, and into different machines.

Naruto's gaze was hazy, his vision wavering as he struggled to fight of the blissful calling of unconsciousness. He needed to stay awake, he had to remain alert, if only to prevent the Kyuubi from being killed with him. At the very least he would save his fathers life, even if death claimed him. Naruto knew he would die without any regrets knowing he'd gone alone, and one day maybe his father would exact vengeance upon all those who ever wronged him.

A cold hand touched his skin, and he immediately jerked away from it. Opening his eyes, that he had not realized were closed, Naruto was greeted with his Sensei's smug smile, as he held another needle in his grasp.

This procedure continued the same way for the next few hours. When one of the tubes was too badly damage from exposure to the volatile energy, Aizen, or Gin, would appear and replace the corroded tube with a new one. By the end of the third hour Naruto was barely breathing. He was covered in blood from all the wounds inflicted upon him from the sharp needles, and his normal, sun tanned skin was a sickly pale.

Blinking away the liquid gathering in his dull, sapphire orbs, he turned his gaze to the man standing in front of him. Watching, as if he was calculating his every movement, and facial expression.

Naruto's gaze didn't leave Aizen's. He stared back, unblinking, into his Sensei's dark brown eyes.

"I suppose I owe you an explanation, before you dissolve into nothing." Aizen said, running his hand through his brown locks in nonchalance.

Walking closer to the bloodied blonde, the shinigami placed a hand on top of his chest.

"To put simply Naruto-kun, we're extracting the Kyuubi's energy from you." Aizen said. "Normally, this would not have had any effect what so ever on you, but since you fused with the demon lord, his life force became your own."

Naruto noticed the shift in his Sensei's personality, saw the maniacal look in his eyes.

"So, after every ounce is removed from your body, you'll die." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man stating that he would cease to exist on this night.

Laughing, Aizen continued with his explanation. "Don't give me that look Naruto-kun. Out of everyone, you should have expected this, you can't house a demon, with over two-thousand years of knowledge and experience, and expect for your life to be plain and simple."

Aizen glanced at the blonde's stomach and unconsciously took a step back from what he could instinctively feel trapped inside the blonde haired Arrancar.

"The Kyuubi himself has almost been completely extracted, soon he will be trapped along side his power." Aizen said, his calm attitude present once again.

Naruto didn't have the strength left to respond, so he just stayed quiet and continued listening to the ranting shinigami.

"Oh, and Naruto-kun? You should never accept gifts so casually from a stranger," He said in a mocking tone. "for this…weapon was the cause of your demise." Aizen finished as he held the blonde's blue steel katana. The one that he had received, as a gift, from the devious shinigami holding it.

"I have to thank the twelfth division for coming up with such an ingenuous creation." He said smirking as he appraised the blade, twirling it in his fingers.

Tossing it in the air, Naruto watched as it flipped in the air countless times before losing its momentum and beginning its decent. The blade approached, faster and faster as it built up speed, falling directly at the unmoving blonde. Naruto didn't so much as twitch as Aizen's hand shot out, and caught the blade as it hovered just above his throat.

Aizen stared into the blonde's eyes, smirking, as he held the blade in front of the Arrancar's face.

"Everything I do has a purpose. I gave this to you, because it is a blade that slowly feeds off of the individual wielding it." He reached down with blade and placed the point of the blade against Naruto's pale cheek.

"Everyday this blade was on your person, it was absorbing a minuscule amount of your reiatsu and transmitting that energy back here." Aizen continued. "From the data collected off of your reiatsu we were able to create a device strong enough to house the nine tailed foxe's volatile essence." Aizen allowed a grin to cross his features as he looked at the dying soul.

"Soon, the special orb we've designed will contain the great demon lord Kyuubi, and his power shall be my own."

Removing the blade, Aizen turned to leave and walked a few steps away before stopping. "Naruto-kun, please understand, I had no intention of harming you. However, your alarming transformations have forced my hand." Aizen paused and shook his head sadly. "I cannot allow a being stronger than myself to exist, I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

With his words spoken, the traitorous shinigami vanished and Naruto felt his hate for the man growing steadily stronger. Naruto blinked, as a cold, hollow feeling invaded his body. It wasn't the last of his energy leaving him to die, no, there was still plenty left to draw. It was a familiar presence he could no longer feel inside of himself, which had simply vanished.

Naruto clenched his eyes tight as tears streamed down his face. He knew, in that instance, his father, the demon lord Kyuubi, had been absorbed. Something snapped in the blonde and his reiatsu flared, the heat easily burning through the restraints and tubes attached to him.

"Aizen-Sama!" Naruto could hear the panicked voice of Gin echoing off the walls. "Fūja Hōin…the Fūja Hōin! It's completely stopped assimilating the Kyuubi's energy."

Naruto would have cried if he wasn't surrounded by a cloak of reiatsu that instantly evaporated any form of liquid. His father had allowed himself to be consumed by the orb, so that once he was drawn inside, he could find a way to stop the absorption process.

Aizen and Gin appeared using shun-po to see the blazing inferno surrounding the Arrancar.

The blond lethargically turned his head, saw Aizen clenching his fists with an enraged look on his face.

Both shinigami watched, with a small amount of dread, as the inferno grew brighter, the heat intensifying.

All the power washed over the room, Aizen cried out in anger as he watched the flames consume him.

When the flames finally died away, there was no trace left of the first Arrancar to ever exist.

* * *

Minato stared into the furious, downright frightening, gaze of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, captain of the 1st Division and leader of the Gotei 13.

"Yamamoto-Sama, please, I beg of you to reconsider…" A bang from the old captain's cane silenced the blond immediately.

"Namikaze Minato. I have already stated that this hollow, or 'Arrancar,' is to be exterminated." The captain of the first squad stated, his gaze serious as he glared at the blond haired captain.

"Captains will now be assigned daily patrols, and if you encounter this monstrosity you are to report it immediately and stall the hollow until back up arrives." Yamamoto stated, his hard voice leaving no room for discussion.

Minato bowed his head low and stepped back into line beside Urahara Kisuke, who shot the third division captain a sympathetic look.

"If there is nothing further to report this meeting is adjourned." With another bang from his cane, the captains of the Gotei 13 quietly filed out of the room.

Minato was one of the first captains to leave the first division as he quickly made way back to his office.

As silently as any trained shinobi, Minato gathered up a few essentials and personal items into a bag. As he placed the last item into his sac, he felt the distinctive presence of two beings behind him.

"Don't you think you're acting a little hastily Sensei?" Turning around Minato was greeted with his lazy third seat leaning against his desk, and Jiraiya standing in the door way.

"I won't let this happen! I can save him, I know it!" Minato yelled quietly.

Kakashi stared at him lazily. "If you're going to leave Soul Society, now is the perfect time." Kakashi suggested, his gaze still focused on his captain.

Minato laughed as he approached Kakashi, and enveloped the man in a bone crushing hug. "Thank you." He whispered.

"Kid, you better have thought this through." Jiraiya said blandly. "Once you leave, all of Soul Society will be hunting you down, you'll be labeled as a traitor."

"And you know how persistent shinigami can be!" Kakashi added.

"Trust me, as your captain and friend. I know what I'm doing." Minato said waving off the two shinigami.

Jiraiya's eyebrows went up in surprise, but he decided not to comment. "Do you have any thoughts about where you're going to go?" Jiraiya questioned nonchalantly.

The sheepish look on his captain's face told him all he needed to know. "Oh man…" Jiraiya snorted.

"What? What's the matter?" Minato asked as he walked past the seal master.

"You're a fool, but you have our support." Jiraiya added with a grin.

Minato reflected his friend's grin as he repositioned the bag over his shoulder.

"I need you to meet me at this location, one month from now." Minato slipped Jiraiya a note before flickering as he activated shun-po. Snatching the note out of the blond's outstretched hand, he nodded before his captain vanished.

"I guess the fool actually did plan this out." Jiraiya muttered to himself. Kakashi looked at him expectantly.

Folding the note Jiraiya placed it in his robes and walked away, heading for his private quarters, laughing the entire way.

"Wait, you bastard! Tell me what was on the note Sensei gave you." Kakashi almost fell to the ground as he chased after the laughing shinigami.

Though neither knew it, that night father and son abandoned their previous selves, becoming rogue souls, enemies of both Hueco Mondo and Soul Society.

* * *

Here's an easter present for everyone, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm going to be taking a small break now to actually fix up the plot, and think off some more ideas to add. I'd also like to thank everyone who read/reviewed or alerted and favorited this story. It might not seem like much compared to other stories but to reach over a hundred reviews is a big thing to me, so thank you all. Another big round of aplause to my beta Vassago-Toxicity. Finally everything is set for canon to begin, I'm really looking forward to writing the second half of this story. Happy Easter everbody.


	12. The Disappearing Sun

_At birth given scars along tender heart liberties_

_injustice for awkward living situated casual__ties_

_they lay dead along your floor_

_careful not to wake them they're sleeping_

_in the morrows good mourning_

_the dying will discard the wish to live_

_Coheed And Cambria - Al The Killer_

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Disappearing Sun**

* * *

"Is there a reason your stalking that poor boy?" Minato smiled as the smaller blond glared at him.

"Maybe." Naruto responded, glancing over to the man beside him for a second. "Any reason why you won't leave me alone?" He asked directing his attention back on the orange haired teen interacting with other pathetic humans.

Minato hummed to himself, making it seem as if he was actually considering the question. After a minute, the blond leaned his head to the side barely avoiding the halfhearted swipe at decapitating him.

"Probably cause you're just so much fun to be around." Minato responded as he back-peddled away from the irritated blond hollow.

Naruto sighed, he would never understand why he bothered to deal with such an annoying pest, instead of just squashing him like a bug.

"Son…you know you can trust me. Things will be better if you open up to me." Minato suggested. "I only want to help you, all I ask is for you to place some faith in me."

Naruto shook his head, but rose to his feet. He laid a hand on the hilt of his blade, a smirk breaking across his features as he eyed the man across from him.

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement, one way or another."

Minato sighed, knowing just by the attitude of the other soul that he was in for another painful round of lets beat up the shinigami. He noticed a habit forming between himself and his son, ever since he began following him relentlessly over the years. As he spent more time with his only child, he found himself unconscious everyday, after a fun spar.

He realized, long ago, that inside the Arrancar was a lonely, broken spirit. With the loss of the demon lord, Naruto seemed to be fueled by hatred, and a desire for vengeance. Even though he exclaimed he wanted nothing to do with him, Minato knew deep down he was grateful for the company.

The former Hokage had grown accustomed to the random fights with his son. He would much rather talk than fight against the other blond, but he accepted the small amount of time his child would give him and, for once over the many years, he felt hope.

Hope that just maybe he could reach Naruto, and maybe begin to re-establish the shattered bonds between father and son. Minato was no fool though, while he prayed his wishes would come true he wouldn't depend on them. For one was more likely to be disappointed in the end relying on nothing but hope and a crazy dream. Sometimes no matter what, despite your hopes people were unexplainable creatures, that did unexpected things for unknown causes.

He knew how his son was treated, despite the fact he told his village to see the boy as a hero, and yet, he was treated worse then dirt. Sometimes all hope would lead to is heartache and suffering.

So, with another sigh, he drew his blade, and waited patiently for his son to make the first move.

Naruto, not one to disappoint, raised his arm and whispered "Bala."

Minato was moving the instant the words left the hollows lips. He dived under the blast of red energy, and pushed off the concrete roof propelling himself straight at the stoic blond.

Smirking, he swung his blade in a downward arc.

Naruto chuckled as he came to the conclusion that his father was an idiot. Judging by the distance separating them he figured the steel would miss him by at least a few inches.

A faint whistling alerted him to late of the actual danger behind that strike. Naruto moved to the side avoiding being cleaved in half by the fierce blade of wind extending from the Zanpakuto. Unfortunately, his own smugness cost him, as the wind blade removed his arm like a knife cutting through butter.

The blond stumbled backwards and growled at his father, more in annoyance then anger. Naruto's arm bubbled and hissed, before a brand new arm sprouted out. Flexing his fingers the Arrancar tested out his new arm.

Naruto glared at his father, causing the shinigami to hold up his hands in a form of surrender. A cruel smirk darkened his features as reiatsu swarmed through hid body.

"SHIT!" Minato yelled before his son charged.

* * *

Running a hand through his spiked hair, Ichigo Kurosaki grumbled under his breath as an ecstatic orange haired girl jabbered away beside him.

"Have you ever looked at a starry sky Ichigo? Oh so beautiful. Sometimes, I feel like each individual star is a brave knight watching over me, and protecting me from harm." The bubbly girl said, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Hn…I don't spend much time thinking about stuff the way you do." He replied in his annoyed and bored tone.

Ichigo continued to walk and listen to his bubbly friend, on the long walk home from school. His eyes flashed for a second, he stopped dead looking directly in front of himself.

Orihime seemed to notice his absence after she walked a few paces ahead. Turning around she looked at him with a questioning stare.

"Orihime, go home." Ichigo's gaze never wavered as he continued to look straight ahead.

"What's wrong Kurosaki-kun?" She asked in a way that said she wouldn't go anywhere until she received an answer.

He took at glance at the stubborn girl and glared at her. "Get the hell out of here now, you stupid girl." The orange girl stifled her cry, but she jumped as he shouted at her.

"Kurosaki-k…" She started to mumble, but another glare silenced her instantly.

Ichigo felt horrible as he watched his friend out of the corner of his eye. He decided then that he would just have to make it up to the orange haired girl later.

Orihime looked into his eye for few seconds, the silence between them escalating and growing more uncomfortable. After what seemed like an eternity she nodded with tears finally escaping and trailing down her cheeks, as she turned away from him and ran home.

He watched her go, knowing he shouldn't but he did it anyway, feeling bad about the way he acted to the kind natured girl.

"I think 'sniff' I'm going to tear up 'sniff' such a cruel man you are Ichigo Kurosaki." Said boy stared angrily at the over-dramatic man, he guessed from the tone of voice, wearing a crimson porcelain mask, dressed casually in a bright orange long sleeved shirt and black khaki's.

"What do you want?" He growled at the man standing twenty feet down the road.

"No need for such hostility boy. I have no desire to harm you or any of your friends." He stated offhandedly as he inspected his finger nails.

This just irritated the part time shinigami as his glare intensified. "Who are you?"

"Wow, you're just full of questions aren't ya? Names…" The man paused "Sasuke."

"Why were you following us then…Sasuke?" Ichigo questioned a visible tick in his eyebrow.

When the masked being began scratching the top of his mask, Ichigo guessed he must be thinking of another good excuse.

"Oh, I got one!" Sasuke shouted. "I was watching your back, making sure no hollows would get the jump on ya and…" Sasuke stopped as Ichigo levelled him with his deadliest glare. "damn, I actually worked hard on that excuse too. I thought it was a good one."

"Let's just say I'm a friend." Sasuke's demeanor did a three sixty as it changed from casual to serious.

Ichigo stared impassively at the man identified as Sasuke, before scowling. "What kind of friend are you exactly?"

"Oh…hehe, one with benefits strawberry." Sasuke replied, the grin covering his face practically visible through the mask.

Ichigo on the other hand had a completely different expression. His eyes filled with anger as he glared at the masked individual. Time flew by as Ichigo continued to spear Sasuke with his glares, while the other man seemed to be oblivious to the mental beatings he was receiving.

"It's getting quite late. I'd say its about time we started strawberry." Sasuke commented catching Ichigo's attention and stopping any further death glares.

One instant Ichigo was standing guarded, ready to protect himself from what ever plans this man was making. The next, his body was falling to the ground but he wasn't with it. Somehow, his soul was detached from his body, without the help of Rukia's special gloves.

"How in the...what the hell did you do!?" Ichigo screamed, his mind not able to comprehend what just happened.

"It's a very simple process to separate you from your shell, shinigami." Sasuke stated. "but that is not important. Ichigo, my friend, you have two options available. You can either surrender peacefully, or I'll kill you!" Ichigo was about to charge the man when his ankle felt like it was on fire, Looking down, a strange red tentacle of energy was wrapped around his ankle.

"Don't be alarmed, this is simply a precaution. It will be removed before we begin."

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest but then closed it as the crimson tentacle retracted back to Sasuke's body.

"Times ticking away, strawberry." Ichigo's retort stopped dead on his tongue as the mask man vanished. He drew his weapon and tried to listen for any sound that would indicate his opponent's position. He knew he was in a tight spot, not only did Sasuke have the advantage of surprise, he seemed to be extremely fast.

Ichigo spun around, instinctively raising his weapon as a blade crashed down and shook his legs as a powerful weight bore down upon him.

"Very good. Now, lets see how well you are in Taijutsu."

Before Ichigo could blink, Sasuke's fist crashed into his jaw. The teen fell backward, landing on the hard sidewalk.

He felt hands gripping his shoulders, twisting, he tried to throw them off. As soon as he tried he was lifted and thrown into a brick wall, dust settling on his black robes.

Shaking the cob webs from his head, Ichigo sprang to his feet spinning back and forth, his blade clutched tightly against his palms.

Ichigo's blade was already moving as Sasuke appeared in front of him. His blade was stopped in mid air by the man's forearm. He yelled as he applied more pressure to his blade trying to cut through the arm, but not even budging the blade from its position.

"How utterly pathetic and boring, Strawberry." Sasuke spat, grabbing the blade and snapping it like a twig.

Ichigo stumbled forward as he lost resistance, and was met with a knee to his abdomen.

Blood and spit sprayed from his mouth as he gasped for air. The orange haired teen locked his hands around the man's wrist, before he could follow through with another attack.

He was surprised when an elbow connected with his head, forcing him down, his chin crashing into the pavement.

He wearily lifted his head, blood dripping from his mangled chin. Sasuke stared at him his crimson mask looking slightly ominous in the fading light.

"Tsk-tsk…" His taunting voice echoed from behind the mask. "Your skills are worse then even I imagined. Looks like I got my work cut out for me, but…" Sasuke drawled as he deliberately slid his zanpkatuo slowly from its sheathe. "I think it's time you found your own power boy."

Ichigo cried out as a burning sensation engulfed his back. He twitched, painfully, on the ground before something collided with his head.

* * *

Feeling exhausted after severing Ichigo's soul chain and moving one step further with his plans. Naruto lazily watched as Urahara Kisuke gathered the bloody orange haired boy. A groan leaving his parted lips as he rose to his feet to follow.

Naruto stopped in his tracks as he noticed the faint silhouette trailing the two from the rooftops. Frowning, the blond nonetheless stalked the stalker, while his head worked through various scenarios to assassinate the extra as quietly as possible.

What the hell was going on? That was one of the many questions swirling around his brain like a vortex. As he observed the oblivious stalker, Naruto stealthily pursued the man. Tracking his movements with minimal difficulty. It was baffling why everyone seemed to be so interested in this child, and for the life of him, Naruto couldn't figure out why. Sure, he had a decent spiritual presence to him, but what else was he hiding inside that warranted attention from so many high level shinigami.

As he carefully approached closer to the oblivious being, Naruto delicately positioned himself to spring forward and end the man's life as quick as possible, with no resistance. Shifting his left foot, the blond shot forward the moment the stalker paused, his blade drawn, the man's life was gone before he even knew it.

"Ah Naruto-san, so nice to see you again. It's been far too long, since our last get together?" Naruto's entire body went rigid at the deceptive and sickening voice coming from behind.

"Ichimaru…Why are you following them?"

Shrugging Gin's grin seemed to widen just another fraction of an inch. "No idea, he just seems to be an interesting fellow. Don't you agree?" The blond narrowed his eyes and pointed the tip of the blade in his hands at the purple haired shinigami.

"No! He's a waste of space in this world as are you!" Naruto stated nonchantly. "I see Aizen still doesn't trust his pet dog with any vital information. Do you even know why your trailing this boy in the middle of the night?"

No reply was given except the sound of a blade being drawn ever so slowly from it's sheathe.

"I see, very well, I shall grant your wish traitor, and send you on a one way trip to hell." The blonde growled through clenched teeth.

Naruto noticed the violet haired soul whisper under his breath. The shinigami's blade extended the next instant stretching across the distance and aiming to pierce through his head.

He leaned to side at the last second and grabbed the blade with his bare hands.

Like with Ichigo's massive Zanpakuto he snapped the tip of Gin's off. Though it took about twenty times the amount of strength he used on the teens. Naruto caught a brief glimpse of his opponent vanishing, he began to turn but he was forced off his feet as Gin's blade pierced through his shoulder and carried him off the rooftop. The blade took him across the distance between the buildings, and slammed him through a glass window.

Gin stood on the ledge, peering intently at the shattered window. His eyes opened slightly as a cero blast tore through the opening Naruto's body had made. His form vanished as he flash stepped around the blast of reiatsu and landed quietly on the other side of the roof.

Gin spun around, ducking as he twirled, and brought his blade down in a low sweep at the figure standing before him. Naruto managed to jump in time, avoiding losing his legs. He lashed out with his leg and caught Gin in the jaw, snapping his head back.

When he landed, his blade was carving into the shinigami's side. Pulling his blade free, Naruto unleashed the cero charged on his fingertips at point blank range into the shinigami's face.

A smirked tugged at his lips. The last part of his mask falling from his face, as he watched the burnt and smoking form rolling across the roof.

"Still feeling so smug now Ichima…." Naruto's voice faded. Whatever he was saying forgotten, his eyes locked onto Gin's body.

It took whole lot of restraint on his part to not just rush in and behead the bastard where he stood, with his creepy grin. His teeth clenched grinding against one another, Gin had used his power. It was such an insignificant amount that it was barely noticeable, but he had seen it.

The bastard's skin tissue was repairing itself right in front of his eyes. Naruto knew their was no other explanation for the abnormal healing powers Gin was displaying. They found a way to harness the Kyuubi's spiritual energy to a point where they could use it through their own bodies. How they managed such a feat was baffling, for he knew naught how someone could stabilize such a potent amount of youki energy, without inflicting harm or even fatal poisoning from the exposure.

Naruto kept his calm, even with the presence of his stolen spiritual energy coursing through the bastard in front of him. His eyes narrowed as Gin looked up from his position on the ground his slant eyes twinkling with some hidden glee as he smirked.

A seething haze of red enveloped his vision. Without hesitating, Naruto charged across the rooftop and kicked Gin's body as hard as he could. After the first hit he followed up with another and another, venting his rage, feeling a deep satisfaction at the wet sounds his boots made, the jerking movements of the body and the crunch of ribs giving away beneath the mighty blows.

Naruto didn't notice another soul land on the roof, nor did he care. His clouded mind was so focused on inflicted as much physical pain as possible, on one of his father's murderers.

So, he was taken by surprise when a blazing fire hit him in the side, sending him careening over the building's edge.

* * *

Yeah its kind of short, but it would have been a while for an update had I continued. Anyways the next chapter will be the conclusion to the fight and then some more Ichigo. Hope you enjoyed it and if you did, don't forget to leave a review.


	13. Timing Is Everything

Don't be angry with me but I skipped the Gin and Naruto fight for a reason. Anyways the beginning might not make to much sense right now, but bare with me. If you haven't already checked out my new story, then you should definitely do so and tell me what you think.

* * *

Kisuke Urahara was not easily impressed, being the former captain of the twelfth division and the head of the research and development division. He was a man hailed for being a genius among the Gotei 13.

He had been approached by an Arrancar two weeks ago, Minato Namikaze's son if he wasn't mistaken. The boy had come in and told him one of the most ridiculous plans he had ever heard. This was one of the many reasons he decided to go along and help, it was just crazy enough that it might actually work. He had watched the short fight between Minato's and Isshin's boys.

The moment Naruto severed Ichigo's soul sleep, completely rendering Ichigo as nothing but a normal soul, he made his move. Appearing down before the broken boy he carefully picked him up bridal style and using shun-po appeared inside of his home.

All that had occurred almost a month ago, and Naruto had yet to arrive and discharge him of his tiring job as a teacher. An explosion brought him out of his thoughts as a giant beam of reiatsu tore through a cliff, splitting it in half.

"Very good Ichigo. Your speed and execution of the technique has greatly improved, but your body is still a little too slow to even have a chance of keeping up with a captains." The exiled shinigami commented, his eyes shadowed by the hat atop his head.

"Haha, come on hat and clogs I feel like I could take all of Soul Society right now." Ichigo said taking steady gasps as he powered up for another attack against the poor mountain.

"It's rather confusing considering…" Urahara paused, his eyes looking off into the distance. "Ichigo continue…I'll be back in just a moment."

Ichigo eyed the exiled shinigami strangely, as he walked to the dungeons entrance. Shrugging he turned his attention back onto training with his shikai.

* * *

As he reached the inside of his shop, he wasn't surprised in the least by the man waiting for him. His guest was wearing a skin-tight suit that covered most of his legs and stomach, but seemed to end right where his pectorals started, which were covered in armour. The armour covering his pectorals was white and right below and in-between those, on his sternum, was a black diamond. His ribs were also covered by white armour, closer to the skin than the other two portions. On his shoulders, connected to the chest armour by fishnet, were black protrusions. They covered his shoulders and most of his upper arm. The fishnet went across his arms and led to the white bracers he had on his forearms. His mask covered nearly all of his head and a metal plate with four red eyes on it covering his forehead, eyes and nose. Two thin strips of his mask ended just below his chin. There were bumps in the mask where a human's ears would be that had black stripes running along them. He had two swords on his back, one had a grip with a black diamond pattern with white wrapping, while the other had a white diamond pattern with black wrapping. The one with white diamond patterned grip had a circular guard, while the other had a rectangular guard.

"Well, this certainly is a surprise. Nice get up by the way, did you happen to pick it up at the thrift store down the street?" He asked as he eyed the man.

"The boy is not improving fast enough." Kisuke shrugged nonchalantly at the man's comment.

"You expect too much from him. He's probably around a lieutenant's power now, if you expected captain material it's going to take a few more weeks…Naruto Uzumaki." Kisuke Urahara spoke his eyes twinkling from beneath his hat.

Naruto scoffed. The front of his mask dissolving, revealing his face. "I trusted you with his training, because he recommended you. Maybe I placed too much faith in my fathers judgement." He said, leaning against a wall, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Or maybe he thought too highly of you…Kisuke Urahara." Again, Kisuke shrugged, brushing off the hollows comments.

"Appearances had to be kept, do you have any idea how hard it's been to make everyone think Ichigo Kurosaki is still living his normal life?" Kisuke replied as the young soul scowled.

"Does it look like I care? The plan does not involve his previous life, the moment he decided to face me alone that day sealed his fate." Naruto growled.

Kisuke eyed the Arrancar, his eyes narrowing, at the information his guest revealed concerning the young teens fate.

"If you're having second thoughts about our agreement, then back out now, Urahara, and I will finish the boy's training myself." Naruto glared at the sullen ex-shinigami as the man held his face down, looking at the wooden floor.

"No!" Kisuke finally said after a minute of silence. "Three days. In three days, he'll be ready."

Nodding Naruto turned to leave, and walked gracefully to the wooden door marking the entrance. Urahara watched him go each step and as the Arrancar reached the door, he called out, "Don't you think its time you forgave him?"

Naruto stood silent for a moment before responding. "Betrayal does not go unpunished. He is lucky to still be alive."

"Minato was only doing what he thought was right."

"I'll have Aizen's plans by the end of the week."

He paused and glanced back at the blonde haired shinigami. "Three days Kisuke."

* * *

He strolled out leaving Urahara to his own thoughts as he pondered the probability of the hollows plans to actually succeed. Indeed if he could discover when Aizen planned to move for the Hogyoku then the success rate would drastically increase. It surprised the former captain how Aizen could be fooled when his Zanpaktuo was an illusion based blade, but he wasn't about to complain about their fortune at having someone who could physically change themselves.

Grabbing onto the railing Kisuke smirked as the entire foundation of his house shook. "It would seem Ichigo's finally perfected his shikai abilities, well…you'll have to excuse me Minato." Kisuke said eyeing the shinigami captain that now suddenly stood beside him. "Time to take his training to the next level."

"Thank you Kisuke." Minato whispered, before also leaving the shaking building.

"I wouldn't thank me just yet old friend." He muttered as he descended back down into the dungeon.

* * *

Aizen rested his head on his hand, his elbow balanced on the arm of the massive throne he sat upon. His calm eyes were drawn to his chambers doors, a slight smile breaking across his face as none other then his right hand man Gin Ichimaru entered.

Aizen waited patiently as his accomplice made his way towards his throne. He didn't so much as blink until the silver haired man was standing directly in front of him.

"So…" He started but paused as he stared of into nothingness. "How is our old friend… Gin."

Gin's usual wide grin was on his face. The fox like eyes were closed and his hands were concealed beneath his robes.

"Alive." He spoke swiftly. Aizen's eyes slid to the side and focused on the grinning shinigami.

"Really, that's interesting, I expected at least one of you to die." Aizen commented offhandedly as he stared expectantly at his silver haired subordinate.

Gin switched his weight, taking the weight off of his left foot in favour of his right.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Aizen smirked at the childishness Gin always managed to display.

"Indeed." Aizen's smile stretched wider as a thought occurred to him. A very pleasing idea that would soon add to his powers and create his army of Arrancar.

"What exactly are you planning this time?" Gin questioned, knowing the look on the others face all to well.

"Now that Soul Society has found the location of the missing Kuchiki, all of our plotting will finally be put into action. My army of Arrancar will soon be born, and our utopia will be but an arms distance away." Aizen replied a smirk tugging at his lips.

"A world ruled by justice and peace." said a monotone voice.

"Yeah, whatever you say Kaname-kun." Gin said mockingly. Tousen Kaname leaned against a wall to his right. His blind eyes seemingly staring at nothing.

"Someone as corrupted as you could not possibly perceive the meaning of these two words." Tousen told him blankly from the corner of the room he stood.

"I'm just a tad bit curious is all." Gin said. "about how you can think of yourself as being so righteous when you betrayed your own captain, and murdered comrades who had fought along side of you since the academy."

"For peace to reign some lives are needed sacrifices." Tousen spoke before briskly turning and leaving.

"Well that's certainly a very peculiar thought Kaname-kun?" Gin said as he followed him out of the room taunting the man and his beliefs the entire time.

Aizen's gaze returned to staring blankly at nothing as he roamed over his thoughts, and plans to become the King.

* * *

The reptillian-esque figure was bald except for three tiny strands of hair sticking up near the middle of its head.

"We must wait for brother…to arrive before we begin." Kakashi contemplated on whether to ask for his brother's name, but decided against when another presence made itself known.

"Brother, look, the puny man has finally arrived." The large creature said pointing at Kakashi with his chubby arms. Kakashi turned and looked at the lizards supposed brother and was shocked with what he saw, It was young male, tall and strong. The youth carried a long staff with an oddly shaped blade at the end. He was also elaborately dressed with crimson eyes and 3 shards of a jewel embedded in his forehead.

"Yes I can see that..." Again Kakashi noticed that he could not hear what there names were.

"Excuse me but...um...you're both my Zanpakuto spirits?" Kakashi said pointing between the young teen and grotesque lizard man. "and you're brothers?" Both nodded and then turned to each other.

"Great, brother...we're being wielded by an idiot." The lizard like man said earning a chuckle from his brother.

"Though I must say your hair is very beautiful." The same creature said as he ran a hand over his smooth bald head.

"My hair?" He questioned, as he eyed the creature through his one eye. "I'd be willing to give you some of this luscious hair, if you tell me your name."

The lizard mans mouth opened to speak but closed just as quickly when his brother glared at him.

"You will have to earn the right to learn our names and use us in battle, weakling." The more human looking of the two spat.

"But, brother, he makes such a generous offer how can I refuse?" The lizard like man said moving closer to Kakashi ever so slowly.

"What a disgrace you are, Manten. If you weren't family, I would have killed you long ago." Manten flinched at his brothers harsh voice, full of cruel intentions and malice.

"Brother…Please, forgive me." He said pleadingly.

"So your name is Manten eh?" Both brothers looked at Kakashi dumbfounded as he continued to roll the lizard mans name around his tongue.

"Kind of a dumb name, if you ask me." He said after a bit of thought. Manten, who had been turning to talk to his brother, froze. He slowly turned around and looked at Kakashi once again.

"Dumb, you say?" He questioned, a cloud beginning to form beneath his feet.

"Yeah, when you think about it your name is just man and ten put together, I mean your name might as well be tenman, that better suits you." Pausing Kakashi scratched his chin in thought. "Actually that describes your roundness perfectly." He said none the wiser to the hot headed Zanpakuto spirit planning his death.

"How dare you call me fat!" Manten shouted.

Kakashi's attention was brought back to the younger of the two siblings when a bright light caught his attention.

His eyes widened considerably, taking notice to a giant beam of lightening heading straight for him. He managed to roll to the side avoiding being incinerated by the blast. Kakashi glanced back at Manten and saw another flash of lightening spewing from his mouth.

The older brother laid down deciding to let the two have there fun. "Manten, remember not to kill the puny human." He sneered.

Manten paused with his onslaught of lightening blasts. "I won't An-chan."

Three hours later, when Manten had finally run out of steam and fell asleep, Kakashi approached the older sibling warily stepping around the snoring giant.

"I think you've been here long enough human." The unknown zanpaktuo spirit stated, still laying on the ground gazing at the sky.

"I'd happily leave once you tell me your name An-chan." Kakashi replied with his famous eye smile.

Grumbling the Zanpaktuo spirit sat up and glared at the shinigami. "You may have been able to learn Manten's name but I am far more superior to him. Soon enough human you shall be blessed to achieve the right to use my powers." He growled. "For now be happy with what you have acquired and be glad you still breath."

With that An-chan laid back down, closing his eyes, he embraced the sweetness of sleep.

Kakashi, not seeing anymore progress being made today, shut his eyes and concentrated on leaving the same way he entered.

* * *

"Hahahaha…you actually said that to your Zanpaktuo." Jiraiya let out a loud hefty laugh as he downed another bottle of sake.

Sighing Kakashi also drank another sip from his own bottle of sake. "Unfortunately, Manten, the fat bastard, tried to kill me relentlessly for hours."

Jiraiya spilt sake as another round of laughter erupted from the sealing master. "Oh god, I love sake." He purred to the bottle in his hand.

Both Kakashi and Jiraiya's expressions became serious when a hell butterfly flew to their table. After a moment of silence the butterfly continued on flying off to the where the sixth division is situated.

"So-Taicho has ordered us to report to the first division for a mission briefing." Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows as he spoke.

Both the fukutaicho and fourth seat of the third division stood up from there seats and reluctantly left the bottles of alcohol on the table.

"Just our luck to be called in for duty on our only day off this year." Jiraiya grumbled vehemently.

"I know what you mean." The silver haired shinigami said. "Some days I wish we had ended up in Kyoraku-taicho's division."

Fake anime tears began to rapidly pour from Jiraiya's eyes as he sniffled. "That man is the best damn Taicho in this forsaken place."

Kakashi quirked his eyebrows and stared at his white haired friend strangely. "Why is that?"

Jiraiya's whole attitude changed as he started hopping up and down on one foot, while doing a stupid pose with his left arm outstretched in front of him. "He's able to appreciate the finer aspects of being deceased." He said ending his silly pose and continuing on to the first division.

"Which are…?" Kakashi said still standing in the same spot he had stood though-out the entire spectacle.

Jiraiya glanced back at him, smirking and giving a thumbs up. "Women, Sake, laziness, and my limited edition Icha Icha afterlife series." The toad sannin shouted loudly and proudly.

Kakashi's eyes widened and he began gasping as he stared unbelievingly at the old pervert.

"Icha Icha afterlife." He said salivating. "such a thing exists?"

With a crooked grin plastered on his face, Jiraiya beckoned Kakashi forth with his fingers. In a trance, the lieutenant of the third division stumbled to Jiraiya's side. Leaning down Jiraiya wrapped his arm around his fuku-taicho's shoulder.

"Just imagine the potential within this place Kakashi, my friend." He whispered to the stunned shinigami. "Yes, my new series Icha Icha afterlife is ten times more amazingly erotic as the rest of my written collections. For you, my dearest friend, it will become available in six months at all BOOK RETAILERS IN SEIREITEI!" Jiraiya ended by shouting, and then using shun-po to escape.

Kakashi was frozen in shock as he just stared at the spot where Jiraiya used to be. A book came out of nowhere and smashed into his face, shaking him out of his daze. Looking down it was a picture of the author of Icha Icha afterlife burning down the book store.

Horrified, Kakashi hurried after Jiraiya's energy and tracked him down to the first division. Heading immediately to the So-Taicho's office he made it inside at the same time as Renji Abarai, lieutenant of the sixth division.

Brown eyes that could melt steel with there intensity glared at each of the shinigami present.

"Renji Abarai, Kakashi Hatake, and Jiraiya Monotagari. All three of you have been summoned here for a special task." The captain commander spoke, as all three seated shinigami listened intently.

"You three have been chosen with the purpose of finding and securing the safe return of fugitive Rukia Kuchiki, from Karakura Town." The leader of the Gotei 13 concluded.

* * *

First person to guess who Kakashi's Zanpaktuo spirits are, gets a homebaked chocolate chip cookie.


	14. Here Come The Butchers

"YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?" Ichigo yelled, his eyes widened considerably.

Kisuke addressed the boy with a joyful attitude. "Like I said, you have to let them take Rukia-san…Ichigo-kun."

"Urahara I appreciate you training me and all, but there is no way in hell I'm letting those bastards take Rukia!" It wasn't even an option to Ichigo, to let her go so she could be executed or rot in a cell. She had saved his life twice; to him he owed her more than just his life.

Crossing his arms, Ichigo gave Kisuke a stern look. "Mah, mah Ichigo it's all a part of the plan. Trust me no harm is going to befall Rukia-san."

"This is not a game boy; many lives will be at stake if you don't do as you are told." Ichigo stopped glaring at his sheepish looking sensei and rolled his eyes to the left. Where a man stood dressed in strange armor with a helmet and four glowing red eyes, stood in the middle of the doorway.

"And just who the hell are you?" Ichigo spat out harshly at the masked individual.

"Come now boy, you do not remember the man who stole your borrowed powers?" Ichigo thought about it for a moment and then nodded. Naruto actually showed a little surprise with his eyes widening by a fraction, not that anyone else could see, what with the mask and all.

His surprise vanished as a thought accord to him. Still from his position between the door frames he turned to Kisuke. "You already told him everything. Interesting I always took you for cryptic old fool." Naruto said bluntly as he walked into the room.

Kisuke shrugged and eyed the approaching ninja. "He's putting himself at risk just like the rest of us, only fitting he knew exactly what he's rushing head first into." Blonde haired shinigami clarified, as Naruto stood beside him.

"This unfortunately brings us to our previous problem." Urahara commented as he gestured over to the boy who a minute ago was arguing.

"She could be killed"

"Your point being"

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you so callous you don't care if she dies?"

"Why should I, she means nothing to me boy." Naruto said nonchalantly, it wasn't that he hated her; he just disliked people in general. Really what reason did he have to feel anything but distaste for a race leading itself to its own destruction? To him the human race was a foul breed with individuals who would stab their closest friends in the back to either survive or to gain more power.

Naruto didn't seem to notice in the slightest as Ichigo clenched his fists so hard his nails broke skin. "Cold hearted bastard." the angered teen growled out.

Naruto's eyes focused directly on the fuming teenager. "Excuse me for not caring about a silly little girl who broke the rules." his eyes showed no emotion, even his tone was void of any life. Almost as if he was nothing but a hollow shell.

Kisuke grimaced as he heard the hollows callous words. This was bad he realised almost immediately, if these two continued with their bickering Ichigo might just walk out. Naruto obviously didn't realize what a hot headed fool the teen is, so it was obvious it would be up to him to sway Ichigo in order for him to go with the plan.

"Ichigo." said man broke out of his staring contest with their guest and cast a single lazy eye in Kisuke's direction. "If you want to make sure Rukia survives then get stronger, stop complaining all the damn time and do something about it. Because whether you like it or not, they are coming for her and they will take her back." he said leaning on his cane.

"Then let's just stop whoever they send, with the three of us they won't stand a chance…"

"It is not enough!" Naruto interrupted the teen, reaching for a book on one of the many shelves aligned around the room. "For my plan to work, Aizen must think he's won. If they do not capture the girl, Aizen will change his plans and then we will be the ones left in the dark." Not once did he turn to look at the flabbergasted shinigami. It was almost as if he was stating his plans out loud then actually talking to the other souls.

"Then change your damn plans! I don't care what you two do, but I am not letting her go."

Kisuke tipped his hat forward shadowing his eyes from view. "Ichigo, you can save her from death and flesh out our greatest enemy at the same time. Think about it, for this plan to succeed we all need to work together as a single cohesive unit." as he finished speaking, the century old shinigami snatched the book out of Naruto's hands before it was completely opened.

"You don't want to read this Uzumaki-san, unless you'd like to learn how to make one hundred different kinds of ramen?"

Naruto seemed to glide as he made his way to the door. He stopped and stood at the open doorway for a moment, with a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'll be back for it later Urahara." he didn't wait for a reply; he walked out of the room, shutting the door after himself with a light click.

As the door closed Ichigo turned to Kisuke. "Pfft….I don't like the bastard."

Kisuke glanced at the orange haired teen, a smirk breaking across his face. "I'm sure the feelings mutual." Urahara commented, his eyes carefully examining the boy beside him.

"What's his problem anyway, Rukia hasn't done anything wrong, accept save lives. For that she's going to be executed!" Urahara looked up from underneath the shadowy veil of his hat.

"Don't take it personal Ichigo-kun, but Naruto-san doesn't't like anyone."

"That guy…" Ichigo muttered heatedly, his jaw clenching. "I'll kill him if anything happens to her."

Urahara's smirk fell slightly, replaced by a somewhat more serious expression. "Come on Kurosaki. If I remember correctly, you still haven't perfected switching to bankai yet." the scientist paused, his hands tightening around his cane, as Ichigo groaned. "If you want to have even a slight hope of matching Naruto-san and saving Rukia-san, you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

That was all the incentive Ichigo needed to begin training again, as he followed the exiled shinigami back into his basement.

* * *

Why did these things always happen to him? Did he not pay enough as is, or did the gods take some kind of guilty pleasure out of watching him suffer. Naruto stared out at the dozen or so hollows surrounding a group of kids playing a game he learned were called soccer.

Normally he would have strolled right by the oblivious souls about to be devoured. Some would call him a cruel, callous, cold hearted bastard, but in his eyes it was just the way of life. Humans murdered everyday to survive, whether it be animals or each other, it was done out of selfish needs and desires.

So why should he deny his brethren what in their minds was the key to their survival. Had it been any other day with any other group of human children he would have walked right by, not even hesitating in the slightest as there screams of terror reached his ears.

But of course it had to be the inexperienced shinigamis sister playing at this field. With a sigh he vanished, a moment later he re-appeared standing in the same spot. Naruto smirked and cracked his knuckles, each hollow let out a terrifying wail as they dissolved into nothingness.

Satisfied with his work he turned and continued on his path, after all time was vital and he hoped to reach his destination before nightfall.

"Hey." a voice called from behind him. Naruto looked back at a small black haired girl running to catch up to him. Knowing she was calling for him to stop, he kept walking at the same pace.

"Hey wait up, will ya." she shouted as she drew closer to him. Naruto did not bother to turn or even acknowledge the girls presence as she heaved beside him, obviously feeling a little tired after chasing him.

"Didn't't you hear me?" she said through breathes.

"Yes." he said politely and then fell deathly quiet.

"So why didn't't you wait for me?"

"Why should I have?" Naruto answered with another question.

"Well…" she paused uncertain how to respond, turning back to look at him she had a scowl on her face. "Cause its common courtesy, jackass." Naruto chuckled at her straightforward attitude. It reminded him slightly of a mix between Grimmjow and Nel. Sighing he erased the pesky thoughts from his mind and turned to the child walking in step with him.

"Forgive my rudeness, but I could care less for how others perceive me, though people often tend to call me an asshole." he admitted with a slight smile.

Snorting she turned a critical eye on the blonde haired man. "I'm Karin." Naruto nodded his head and then completely disregarded the girl again and kept walking at his steady pace.

"Well aren't ya going to introduce yourself asshole." Karin said, clearly frustrated by his tardiness.

"You're Ichigo Kurosaki's sister are you not?"

When he said this Karin came to a dead stop, while he kept going not worried in the slightest. It took a moment for her to come out of her initial shock, before she took a few long strides until she was back in step with Naruto.

"Sooooo…" Karin drawled. "How do you know Ichigo?"

Naruto turned to her a creepy smile plastered on his face, causing Karin to inch a few feet away from him.

"Just a friend from school." Naruto said through a fake smile. He had no idea why he was playing along with their silly little games. What was the problem with Ichigo's family knowing he was a soul reaper who purifies corrupted souls for a living?

Shaking his head he focused his attention on the annoying girl staring at him, without blinking.

"What do you want child?" Naruto questioned, his annoyance with the whole situation causing his words to sound very cold. "Surely you have better things to do, then annoying me?"

"I j…just wanted to thank you." she replied meekly, his attitude change and spiteful tone scaring her _a bit_.

_Thank me? _He was surprised but didn't show any of it in the slightest.

"For..?"

"Saving us from those monsters."

Naruto couldn't hide the surprise showing on his face this time by her words. It was not unusual for spiritually aware mortals to exist; the surprise came from the fact that she had been able to see him. Even with the dozen or so terrifying creatures…well terrifying to her at least. She had been able to locate him and connect that he was their savoir. In the face of death, she displayed courage and strength most humans deemed as worthless emotions that only hindered their selfish goals. Looking down at the petit form of the shinigamis sister, Naruto let a small grin reach his lips. _Interesting_

* * *

Further away a man wearing black traditional robes squatted behind a bush eyes wide. His name was Kaji Yumiko. He had been lucky enough to be in the near vicinity when he heard the distinct sound of screams echoing through the forest. It took Kaji almost no time at all to reach an opening where a bunch of human children were playing a game he recognized almost instantly as soccer. After all he was quite the fan of the sport, when he was a member among the living.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed a dozen or so hollows surrounding their meal. That's when he realized the screams had come from the hollows and not the children.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a blonde haired man dressed in normal human clothing just appear at the edge of the field. _He used shun-po. _

"I need to report this to Hitsugaya-taicho immediately." reaching into his robes he pulled a small black device out.

Flipping it opened he went to hit the call button on his soul phone, when he discovered he couldn't move his arms. On further inspection he found out he couldn't will any part of his body to move. He was rooted to the spot, he found only his facial features and mouth could move. "Tsk, tsk…and what do we have here?"

Despite the knots currently taking up the space once known as his stomach, Kaji cracked a grin.

"To think I was fooled so easily, you're quite gifted aren't you?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders so slightly it was almost unnoticeable. "I have my moments. Now what exactly were you going to report to your superiors?" he questioned interrogating his prisoner.

Kaji chuckled nervously, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. "Umm…nothing important." Naruto deadpanned at the captured shinigami.

"Honestly!"

"Well as likely as that is, I don't trust you. So whatever happens next shouldn't be a surprise." Naruto's voice sent shivers running up Kaji's spine.

"Nothing personal but it's simply safer this way, like most of you disgusting souls I'm only looking out for number one."

Naruto appeared in front of the stuck shinigami his fist pulled back, prepared to kill the soul in a single blow.

Instead Naruto ducked under a fist aimed for his head. His eyes shifted to the left where his attacker stood arm still outstretched. Naruto spun and gave the man a swift uppercut to the chin.

His assailant grunted as he flew back several meters, landing hard on the forest floor.

Naruto straightened himself and glared at the person who interrupted him.

"You!" He snarled a look of pure fury and hatred settling on his face. His hand tightening around the handle of his blade as he readied to draw it from it's sheathe.

Minato sat up nursing his bruised jaw. "Did you have to punch so hard…sheesh?"

Instead of chuckling Naruto sprinted over to his father and backhanded him across the face, sending him rolling across the ground.

"Did you think I was joking when I said I'd kill you if you ever got in my way again." He growled. "Cause if you believe so, then you're a dead fool."

Minato pushed himself up off the ground nursing his probably broken jaw. "Naruto I can't let you do this he's an innocent." Minato commented mildly looking at the frozen man.

"Oh so that justifies you protecting Gin, tell me he was innocent too," Naruto's whole body was shaking as he looked at Minato. "You attacked me to save that purple haired bastard?" Naruto spat while shaking his head. It was all just too much, his father who said he loved him, purposely fought him, to protect a man who almost killed his own child.

Naruto strolled over to Kaji whipped out his blade and in one fluid motion the shinigamis head fell to the forest floor with a hollow thud.

"Last time **father**…you get in my way again and I will kill you." he stated before dissolving into nothing but a lone strand of hair that slowly fell to the ground.

Minato stared at the headless body with disgust and sympathy. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood stained on his cheeks.

"I know." he whispered hollowly standing unmoving.

* * *

From his perch on a building Naruto opened his closed eyes and glared at the glistening moon. "Idiot." he muttered and then focused his attention back on the three shinigami floating in the air.

* * *

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, and cast a single lazy eye in his team member's direction. "So any idea how we're going to find her?"

Jiraiya smirked and brought out his Zanpaktuo. "Unlike most zanpaktuos mine has more than one ability Kakashi." as he said this Kakashi sighed and rolled his eye.

"Yes I know, you've told me more than once already idiot." Jiraiya toke the comment at his intelligence all in stride and grinned back at the grumpy team leader

"Ink: Golden quill." the effects were immediate as the grip was wrapped in golden feathers and the blade turned pure black from what looked to be thousands of random kanji's written along the steel's length.

"Sealing art 1: Reiatsu engraving seal." Jiraiya yelled out. Using his Zanpaktuo as a pen, he drew a giant seal in the air.

Reaching into his robes, Jiraiya pulled out a bag filled with strands of hair. "This seals main function is to locate targets by their reiatsu source. To do this I require an item in which there reiatsu has circulated through, whether it is skin particles, blood or in this case hair."

Jiraiya stated as he placed a single strand of hair into the middle of the seal. The effects were immediate as the outer rings of the seal began to glow and spin counter clockwise.

"So this will take us directly to Rukia's position?" the last member of the retrieval group Renji asked.

Jiraiya turned him rubbing the top of his head with a sheepish smile on his face. "Oh hey Renji, I forgot you were there." the red head fell head first as he started dropping to the ground. Gaining control over his reiatsu he flew back up, feeling depressed that his team-mates had forgotten about him.

"Yeah…basically if she's anywhere within a twenty-three mile radius of the seal, it will lead us straight to her..."

"And if she's not within that limit?" Kakashi cut in interrupting the white haired shinigami in his explanation.

"Then the seal will simply dissolve, if she is within the limit it will turn red and follow the source." as if on cue the seal turned from black to red and began heading south-east. Smirking the three shinigami followed closely behind the seal.

* * *

Naruto watched curiously as the strange technique began moving leading them closer to Ichigo's house. "That was quicker than I thought." Naruto was quite impressed with Jiraiya's abilities. It seemed the man was just as powerful as he was alive and his mastery over seals had carried over into the afterlife as well. Standing up Naruto took off into a jog as he followed the shinigami, using the shadows to completely hide his presence.

* * *

Just a filler chapter, all the action starts in the next chapter, which will basically begin the soul society arc.


	15. Welcome to the Party

Rukia stood out in front of Ichigo's house, staring at the building in which she had strangely come to see as her home. Tears were forming in her eyes, ready to descend at any instant. She wanted to tell Ichigo, but he would only try to stop her from going, and he wasn't strong enough to deal with the ones who had come for her. No, she had to leave so he wouldn't get hurt and hopefully, they would just leave and forgot about him altogether.

Sprinting away, tears fell from her eyes as she ran from the one place she had felt truly belonged. After all, she wasn't left with much time before the idiot would stumble upon the note she left for him, explaining her reasons for what she had to do.

Kakashi blinked as the seal flashed from red to blue, before fading from reality, His head turning to Jiraiya, who had a big idiotic grin plastered on his face.

"What the hell just happened?" Jiraiya ignored Kakashi's demanding question and focused his attention on a figure standing below.

Even from such a far distance, the Shinigami could make out the face of the soul staring up at them, '_Rukia'._ The seals master extended his arm and pointed down, interrupting Kakashi before he could inquire more information. Following his friend's appendage, the lieutenant's visible eye settled on the form of one Rukia Kuchiki.

"Seems you're not as useless as I thought," Kakashi said, his facial expressions masked by the skin-tight fabric hiding half his face. Punching his superior in the upper limb, Jiraiya turned to him with a smirk before motioning towards the ground. Both began lowering to the earth, as Renji stayed kneeling in the air, his eyes fixed on his long time comrade.

He wanted to smirk at her, sought nothing more than to rub it into her face how weak she looked right now, for all the times she teased him. But as the red-head looked at her; he couldn't. In his eyes, this girl was not the same woman who had left Soul Society a few months ago, she looked so helpless, so overwhelmed that it sickened him to see her like this.

"Ahhh, Rukia-chan, good to see you're still alive." Rukia tore her gaze from her childhood friend and eyed the cyclops.

"Thank you, it's nice to see you as well Hatake-san." Said man smiled under his mask. Despite the fact, the girl wasn't the least content in seeing him.

"Well, it certainly is unfortunate for us to under such circumstances." Kakashi said, as the girl flinched slightly under is scrutinizing gaze.

"Still, I'm just happy it was you who came to collect me Hatake-san." truthfully she couldn't care who came to get her as long as it wasn't her brother. "I'm ready…" She paused while re-adjusting the straps on her shoulders, which were attached to the bag on her back. "To go."

Nodding Kakashi turned to his team. "Renji go and pick her up…" the red-head hesitated for a moment before nodding. Kakashi rolled his eyes from the tattooed vice-captain to his own fourth seat. "Jiraiya open up the passage-way to Soul Society." Jiraiya extracted his Zanpaktuo from its sheathe and stabbed it into the atmosphere, while Renji landed beside the missing Kuchiki.

"You idiot," the lieutenant of the sixth division muttered before roughly grabbing the smaller girl by the arm. Rukia lowered her head, her friends harsh words making her feel ashamed. "Do you have any idea the mess you've gotten yourself into?" The black-haired girl said nothing, as she refused to look him in the eyes. "The transfer of death god's powers to a human is a felony, ya' know." Looking down at her as if she were a common criminal he continued, "and the penalty is execution… idiot."

"Oh and Rukia, where is the boy who stole your powers?" Rukia froze as Kakashi casually stood near Jiraiya, his hands in his pocket. "Hn."

"What are you talking about!?" She blurted out. "Just because I'm in a faux body doesn't mean my powers were taken. Furthermore-"

"Well that's all very interesting, Jiraiya are you almost done?" He interrupted not really caring. His orders were to capture Rukia and kill the one who stole her powers. _'But alas, he is nowhere to be found.'_

Ancient looking doors materialized out of nonentity right in front of the perverted Shinigami, after he re-sheathed his blade.

"Alright kiddies, ready to head back," Jiraiya's voice echoed through the empty street.

Pulling Rukia along, Renji approached his team-mates, his eyes shifting to the side before snapping back and momentarily widening. He threw his head back just as a beam of light in the form of an arrow passed by, flying down the street before tearing through a nearby brick house, before finally dissipating.

Looking in the direction where the projectile had come, Reji could make out a silhouette through the darkness that was steadily drawing closer. Squinting his eyes, the figure stepped out of the shadows and into a nearby street light. In the glow, the person was clearly visible: a black haired, bespectacled teenager of average height. He wore a school uniform along with a tie while holding a plastic grocery bag in his hand.

"Three men with armed weapons assaulting an unarmed girl…" The teen said with a solid frown on his visage, "not a very pleasant thing to see." Stopping just a few feet in front of the two, he stared at the Shinigami still holding onto the girl. "I don't really like that sort of thing."

Renji gazed curiously at the newcomer. "You can see us… who the hell are you?

Smirking, the glasses wearing teen used his index and middle finger to straighten his slightly crooked bifocals.

"Just a classmate."

"Classmate?" Renji said, narrowing his eyes.

Ishida looked from all three of the Shinigami, "one that hates death gods, that is."

Jiraiya and Kakashi were quick to appear beside the red-head using shun-po. Even with all three figures glaring at him, Ishida kept his superiority complex, not concerned in the slightest about being outnumbered.

"Ishida? Why are you here?" Rukia finally spoke with a slight bit of anger in her tone.

Said teen casually turned to the girl to answer her question. "Just a coincidence. It's nothing for you to worry about," seeing the look on her face he chose to elaborate, "If you must know…" He held up the plastic bag in his hand. "I suddenly wanted to go to this twenty-four-hours-a-day semester shop chain, Sunflower sewing… and was simply walking around this neighborhood in the middle of the night."

Rukia looked skeptically at Quincy. "It's not like I took off because I was concerned when I sense death god energy and brought this bag-"

"Renji," Kakashi interrupted while massaging his forehead. "Deal with him. He's giving me a headache."

Smirking, the red-head slashed at the teen, cutting the bag in half and leaving a small scratch on the teen's bandaged wrist. "You should know never to get on a death god's bad side." His eyes glinted dangerously, as he rested his sword on his shoulder, "it's not good for your health." The male finished by pointing his blade directly at the sewing fanatic.

Rukia grabbed onto Renji's arm. "Wait, Renji he's not a part of th-"

"What are you talking about?!" Ishida cut in. "Shinigamis don't have a good side!"

"Why you cheeky little bas-"

"RENJI!" Kakashi said a perilous edge to his voice. Causing him to pause and look back at him. Seeing the look on his squad leader's face he decided not to push his luck any further.

His eyes then focused back on the nerd, a sadistic grin spread across his face. "Looks like your times run out."

Ishida moved before the Shinigami had a chance to, he fired, using his speed to send two quick arrows into the Death God's shoulders. Unfortunately Renji was faster than he anticipated and easily side stepped both strikes while keeping his firm hold on the girl.

"Too slow," The male muttered before vanishing from sight.

Ishida glanced back and forth not seeing the slightest sign of his opponent. The wind shifted behind him, spinning around he sent a leg sweep at the Shinigami. Instead of dodging, Renji stomped on the teen's leg, smirking as he felt the bone snap beneath his sandaled foot. Ishida's scream died on his lips as he felt a blade digging into his left side.

"Pathetic," Renji muttered, bringing his leg up as he spun, smashing his foot into Rukia's classmate's face.

Ishida went flying back from the blow, skidding off the ground before slamming into a stop sign.

But the boy rose from his kneeling position, blood and sweat covering his face and left side. Standing up on shaky legs, the Quincy knew if he took another blow, he would more than likely bleed to death.

His eyes followed his opponent's every move, right down to the pace of his breathing. Ishida flinched as his assailant vanished. Before he could even move his body went numb. Renji stood behind him, his blade at his side with blood dripping from the tip. Darkness was consuming Ishida's vision, without even realizing he was falling forward, the dark-haired fell to the ground unconscious.

Renji's frowned as he stared down at the teen, sheathing his blade he scoffed before planting his boot into Ishida's injured side. "Stupid brat, that's what you get for being an idiot." He spat while walking back to his shocked friend. Once again his hands firmly grasped Rukia's arm and he began dragging her towards where the other two Shinigami were patiently waiting.

Kakashi's eye widened, he leapt to the side just as a crescent shaped beam of Reiatsu tore through the spirit door. Confused and annoyed Kakashi was quickly back to his feet and saw a orange haired teen standing in front of the Quincy, a giant black steeled Zanpaktuo hefted over his shoulder.

Jiraiya was not far away from his lieutenant frowning at the new arrival.

Ichigo was smirking, quite pleased with himself for almost hitting one. "Oh sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Renji lifted an eyebrow. "Another one… just who the hell do you think you are buddy?"

"Your executioner!" He responded as he charged at the shinigami holding onto Rukia. Renji pushed the girl away and leapt back as the huge blade tore through the air before him.

As his feet touched the solid concrete the lieutenant drew his blade and leaped forward before the stranger had a chance to attack again. He slammed his blade into the smirking teen's. Renji never stopped to ask or wonder why he was smirking; to him it really didn't matter. Ichigo pushed harder against the red-head until he could feel his opponent's knees beginning to give out. He was going to give his all to make sure they didn't capture Rukia.

"What's your name?" Renji muttered through gritted teeth.

"Ichigo," He answered before throwing a knee into his gut.

Renji gasped, feeling the hard blow. Saliva flew out of his mouth as he stumbled back, placing one hand on his abdomen.

The tattooed man dropped to one knee, it felt as if a giant sledgehammer had just smashed his ribs into tiny fragments. Renji bent over coughing into his sleeve. As he pulled away, blood dripped from his lips, covering the cloth in the crimson substance.

"Not bad…. you got one hell of a hard knee," he said still holding his injured side.

Ichigo cast his gaze to the other two shinigami carefully watching him. "So who's next?" Jiraiya began to draw his blade and move forward, when Renji rose on wobbly legs with his blade out in front.

"I'm not done just yet, you bastard." Ichigo spared him a glance before returning his attention to the white-haired male. "Come on old man you're up," He said, completely disregarding the red-head.

"Hey strawberry, your fight's with me." Renji smirked as a vein began to show over Ichigo's right eyebrow. The orange headed teen slowly turned, fire dancing in his eyes as he glared at the name caller.

"What did you just call me?" his smirk widened by a fraction.

"You heard me… STRAWBERRY!"

Ichigo released more reiatsu in his childish fit; Renji actually felt his legs buckle as the spiritual pressure weighed down upon him. _'Just what the hell is this guy, is this really the human Rukia gave her powers to.' _The red-headed Shinigami thought with both eyebrows in his hairline, as Ichigo's power continued rising.

Just as he thought there was no end to the amount of energy within the fake shinigami his power leveled off, just a little below a vice-captains. "Damn Kakashi were going to need are limiters removed, or else this guys going to cream us." Renji yelled out not even bothering to look back at the squad leader, in fear of taking his eyes of the power house smirking at him.

"Shit!" Jiraiya's voice echoed through the night air.

"What?" Renji didn't know why but he had a bad feeling about this entire ordeal.

"Soul Phones are down, Renji were falling back… now!" Kakashi ordered sternly, leaving no room for argument. With a quick shun-po the red-head appeared beside Kakashi. Renji stared straight into Ichigo's eyes. "Next time we meet you won't be so lucky Strawberry." Turning around he reached for the soul door that Jiraiya had opened once again, only to meet a boot smacking him in the face.

Ichigo smirked and used his superior speed to reach Renji before he could re-orient himself. He flew straight at him and flipped just as he reached him and brought down his heel into the downed man's gut. Renji gasped as the breath was forced out of his body, saliva and blood escaping from his mouth. Rolling back Ichigo used his hands to catapult himself away.

Renji pushed himself off the ground, his face twisted as he tried to ignore the pain racking his body. "I won't let you take her," he had barely heard what the teen said, his voice only as loud as a whisper resounded through the dead silent night. "She saved me... it's time I repaid the favor."

"Kid listen to me, you don't have a choice in the matter. Even if you defeat all three of us, all you're doing is digging your own grave." The white haired Shinigami said as he came up beside the red-head with his hands held up in a placating manner. "Think about it. If we don't return what do you think will happen?" Taking Ichigo's silence as a request to continue Jiraiya stepped in front of Renji his hands down by his side, close enough to draw his blade if the situation changed. "You'll have the rest of Soul Society coming down on your ass and trust me that's the _**last**_ thing you want."

Ichigo scoffed, "I'll deal with them when the time comes, but for now, I'll stop you!"

Jiraiya moved at the same time Ichigo did, both charged at each other blades at the ready. The old pervert swung his blade at the teen, but the boy side stepped and appeared in the man's guard, standing face to face with the man, Ichigo smashed an uppercut to his chin.

As Jiraiya was sent flying back, Renji took his place swinging his blade wildly, Ichigo parried every strike from the Shinigami. Flinging the red-heads thrust aside as he plunged his blade for the man's chest. Renji managed to duck in time and then rolled to the side avoiding the leg that flew by his head.

Renji stared up in horror as the giant cleaver was descended upon him in a flash of steel, not even allowing him room to retaliate. But, as the blade pierced his skin, Kakashi appeared leg already flying. His foot smashed into Ichigo's face, sending him stumbling back.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" Renji chanted while pointing his open palm at Ichigo. "Hado thirty-one: Shakkaho." A ball of scorchin crimson light began enlarging in the red-head's hand. When the orb of flame was about the size of a soccer ball, Renji hurled the projectile towards his opponent.

Ichigo heard a faint whistling, as if something was whizzing through the air at break-neck speeds. Cracking an eye open, he gasped before a sphere of red spiritual energy crashed into him, creating an explosion that covered the vicinity in dust and debris.

Suddenly, laughter echoed all around as the dust settled revealing the laughing teen with barely any scratches and a few singed hair. "To think the king was actually worried about facing you three, AHAHAHAHAH!" Ichigo's cruel laughter began morphing into a sinister tone as white particles began gathering from the atmosphere, forming colorless shards over the boy's visage.

"I'm going to have fun tearing you all to pieces!"

Then a malevolent energy blanketed the street as full hollow mask shaped on the boy's features.

Kakashi was really worried now, things were not going according to the plan the three of them had set up. Kakashi blinked as the boy pushed his spiritual pressure outwards, blasting up a thick wall of dirt. When he opened his eyes, the _**thing**_ was right in his face. Ichigo flashed a malicious smile before grabbing him by his face and smashing it down against the concrete. Tears stung at the lieutenant's eyes as overwhelming pain seared through his veins. Ichigo slowly strode to the weakened Shinigami, just as he planned to end the man's life, another sphere of energy smashed into his side, forcing him back a few steps.

Tearing his eyes from the Shinigami at his feet, his attention was consumed by the other two Shinigami; who both had their palms extended out towards him. A devilish smirk stretched across his face, as he charged head on against the two. He reached Jiraiya first, heaving a fist into his gut, before executing a roundhouse kick at the Shinigami. It was so fast Jiraiya didn't have time to defend himself, his eyes snapping shut as he was violently blasted through a wall.

.

"Howl: Zabima-" Ichigo stood in front of the sixth squad's vice captain, his fingers burrowing into his sword arm.

"No Zanpaktuos allowed," Renji yelped as Ichigo wrenched his elbow. As a shuddering snap was heard as the bone broke out of his flesh. Renji stood in shock, choking on a scream as he looked over the horrendous damage inflicted upon his arm.

"Ichigo stop!" he turned and earned a gasp, while staring at the small girl the king had come to protect.

"Sorry Ichigo's not here at the moment princess, would you like to leave a message?"


	16. In My Soul

Glowing ropes wrapped around him tightening as they encompassed his body. Shirosaki didn't flinch as he was ensnared by the Shinigami's spell. Yawning, he turned a bored eye to the staggering lieutenant. "I'll give you one minute to hit me with your strongest attack," Kakashi just stared blankly at him. Shirosaki looked at his bare wrist as if there was a watch there. The hollow looked back to Kakashi grinning from ear to ear, "what are you waiting for..... Only forty-nine seconds left Shinigami." Kakashi snapped out of his stupor and raised both of his pale hands.

"Thunder explodes, Lightning ignites: Incinerate, Thunder Brothers!"

The skies began to darken as Reiatsu surged through out Kakashi's body. Blue lightning danced across his body, while streaming up his legs and heading for his arms, finally they reached his hands, spinning and twisting wildly around his digits before morphing and becoming black gauntlets decorated by stunning sapphire stripes.

Shirosaki stood trapped within the kido spell entangling his body, every fabric within his being was convincing him to escape now and simply dispose of the Shinigami while he had the chance. Of course he squashed that feeling. He wanted to give them hope, an opportunity where his prey believed they had even the smallest of chances of escaping victorious. Only when victory was within their grasps would he act and crush there silly dreams and hopes, watching as despair settles in their eyes as he tears the flesh from the their corpses. For there is no pleasure in killing a prey who had accepted death, no, he would make them fear him and drain every ounce of their pain.

Kakashi pulled down his face mask exposing his face for the first time in many years.

"Plow up the ground: Manten!" Kakashi shouted, Reiatsu surging from his body to his mouth. When enough energy was gathered a giant yellow beam of pure spiritual energy blasted through the night air, lighting up the street as it passed before everything was bathed in darkness as the attack exploded around Ichigo's form.

Silence prevailed as the dust and debris began to settle and the empty street once again became visible. Kakashi's breathing was ragged as he allowed his arms to rest at his side, as he looked all around trying to sense any hint of the hollow-turned Ichigo.

Just as he was about to call out to Rukia, the concrete directly beneath him exploded in a shower of debris. Ichigo erupted from the ground and grabbed Kakashi by the neck pulling him forwards with his momentum and slammed him against the road.

Before he could even groan his body was lifted in the air by his foot. Ichigo swung the Shinigami around in a circle, releasing him directly into the side of a building.

He watched for several moments waiting for the Shinigami to emerge from the rubble. Footsteps brought his attention to the raven haired girl heading straight for him. Rukia reached him and wrapped her arms securely around his waist. The hollow sneered at the girl, and tried to free himself from her hug. The more he struggled, the more he realized how futile his efforts were, for some reason he couldn't find the strength to remove her from around him. Seeing the tears glistening as they streamed down her face brought a pain to his chest.

"Stop it Ichigo.... Please? Just stop," she mumbled, crying into his chest.

The substitute shinigami's eyes toggled from yellow to brown for a brief moment, before returning back to the sickly yellow.

Shirosaki grabbed the sides of his head as he shook his whole body violently from side to side. It took all of Rukia's strength just to remain holding on to him.

"No... NO, NO, NO, NO. This is my body now... I won't allow yo... u to take it back." He shrieked throwing himself back and forth along the street. Rukia held on with all her might, until pain racked her entire frame, as she smashed through a brick wall. She screamed in pain, her ankle twisting under her weight, as she landed hard on the ground. Her scream intensified as Ichigo came crashing down upon her, his added weight snapping the bone in her ankle.

Ichigo stood up staggering; he backpedalled away from the screeching girl. Half his face was visible, showing a grimace. The other half was still covered by the hollow mask with strips of red across it. This displayed the internal fight currently raging on within the teen. Inside both Ichigo and Shirosaki were fighting for dominance, neither being able to gain the upper hand on the other.

As the fight continued Ichigo's body was constantly thrown back and forth, crashing into buildings, street lamps and nearby parked vehicles.

Rukia could hear all the destruction Ichigo was causing. She tried to get back on her feet, but the pain in her ankle prevented such a thing from happening. She didn't have even the slightest of ideas about what was happening, and really she didn't care. All that mattered was that Ichigo needed her help, and she wasn't about to let a fractured bone prevent her from helping him. Painstakingly slowly she got up leaning on a tree for support to keep her left foot from touching the ground.

From her vantage point she had clear view of the struggling teen. His black robes were almost completely destroyed. The fabric was torn all along the clothing. Most of his revealed flesh was covered in blood. Her attention was then drawn to the devastation all around Ichigo. House walls were smashed in. Cars were flipped or crushed beyond repair. Even the road and sidewalk had craters or potholes littering the ground.

"Ichi-" Her voice cracked, coughs forcing their way out instead. After her coughing fit passed, Rukia gulped swallowing needed saliva to relax her throat.

"Ichi-" Rukia's vision blackened and she fell to the ground. Naruto stood behind her, all of his face except the bottom half of his lips and chin were hidden behind his ever present mask. A scowl was on his face as he stared at Ichigo, his four glowing red eyes flashing in the darkness.

"Kisuke," He said, his entire body remaining completely still, "take her and begin the process... I'll deal with him."

Urahara appeared out of the shadows, his cane tapping lightly against the ground as he strolled over to the unconscious girl. He slung her body over his shoulders and began walking away. For a second he paused and looked back to Naruto's still form.

"He still has an important role to play in-"

"I have no intention of killing him Kisuke," Naruto interrupted, "just going to teach him what happens when he disobeys his superiors." Urahara tipped his hat lower, before vanishing in the cool night.

Naruto studied the boy as he thrashed around the street smashing into anything and everything. He crossed his arms across his chest and watched for a few more seconds as the soul fought within himself.

"Why has Aizen taken such an interest in you, boy?"

* * *

Ichigo's arm rattled as he clashed blades with his inner hollow. Shirosaki eyes were gleaming with superiority and malice. Ichigo knew he was going to lose. It was only a matter of time before his strength ran out. He found it strange that he was losing inside of his own mind, how a foreign being had the strength to overpower him in himself. In the beginning he had the upper hand over his hollow clone, but as their battled dragged on, the fight had slowly tipped in Shirosaki's favor. Now it was just a waiting game, to see when he would screw up or run out of energy.

Shirosaki dodged his thrust and wrapped his left hand around Ichigo's right wrist. He added enough pressure to force the blade from the king's hands. Grinning from ear to ear, Shirosaki added more pressure until he could hear Ichigo's bones beginning to crack. Ichigo let out a shrill scream. In an attempt of defense, he brought his right knee up into Shirosaki's gut, doubling him over and releasing the hollow's hold on his wrist.

Ichigo delivered a haymaker into the back of his clones head sending him skidding down the side of the building they are fighting on. He chased after his inner hollow, grabbing his blade on the way. Ichigo blinked when his dark side disappeared. He flinched when the hollow appeared in front of him, and delivered a knee to his chin.

"Two for flinching!" Shirosaki yelled gleefully, returning Ichigo's own haymaker. Ichigo was sent flying from the blow and crashed into the side of the building in his mindscape.

Shirosaki slowly strode to the weakened Ichigo and offered him a hand. Ichigo took it and pulled him down slamming his forehead into his inner hollows.

Before he had a chance to recover from the blow, a giant cleaver was being shoved into his chest.

Yellow eyes stared disbelievingly at him. Shirosaki gripped the steel barely an inch deep within his chest and pushed, trying to force it out.

Both stood still pushing against the other. Ichigo could feel his power fading quickly, his inner hollow was overpowering him.

* * *

Naruto grabbed the vizard by the throat and smashed him against a wall. He noted that both eyes were a different color and glazed over.

The Arrancar raised his left index finger to Ichigo's face. A tiny red beam fired from the tip of his finger and broke through the half hollow mask, shattering it into pieces.

* * *

Shirosaki screamed, as the blade was buried up to the handle in his chest.

* * *

Ichigo coughed up blood as the last remnants of his mask fell away from his flesh and vanished into particles before it hit the earth.

The Orange haired Shinigami grumbled something unintelligible while resting a hand over his head.

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked, his hand still squeezing the Shinigami's neck.

"What happened? Where's Rukia? Is she alright?" Ichigo said rapidly spewing out question after question.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as Ichigo let go of his hand and grabbed him by his chest armor.

"Is she safe? Did they take her?" The teen demanded shaking Naruto back and forth.

"Shut up," Naruto punched the blabbering teen in the jaw. And Instead of releasing him, the blonde Arrancar hit him over and over again until Ichigo fell unconscious within his grasp. Naruto hit him once more for good measure, which sent him to the ground.

Naruto watched as Jiraiya stumbled out of a hole in the side of a building with Kakashi leaning on him for support. He wasn't surprised that both Shinigami were alive and conscious.

"You took quite the beating Sensei," Kakashi narrowed his eye at the mocking tone.

"Maybe if a certain someone would have stepped in a little sooner, things might not have escalated so far," Kakashi replied grumbling under his breath.

Naruto's mask dissolved revealing his smiling visage with his canines poking out from the rim of his lip, "I didn't know I was running a babysitting service," Kakashi groaned but didn't comment any further as Minato decided to show up that exact moment.

"Urahara's finished with the extraction," Minato said quickly as he gently laid Rukia on the ground. Naruto nodded, before turning and walking away

"What the hell is up his ass Minato?" Jiraiya commented, his eyes following the blonde's movements.

'_Naruto when will you ever find it within you to forgive my past mistakes?'_ Minato thought, remaining ever so silent.

"Anyway, we should get healed up and leave immediately." Both older men quirked an eyebrow as they heard the urgency in Kakashi's tone, "unless you want to explain to Byakuya why it took so long to retrieve her." He said gesturing to the girl out cold before their feet.

"What about Renji? He's seen Ichigo's other side," Jiraiya asked, brushing off Kakashi's question, annoying the vice-captain to no end.

"Maybe Urahara will know what to do?"

"Yeah," Minato replied to the Cyclops, "that man seems to have a solution for everything."

The blonde flickered from view, only to reappear right in front of the knocked out lieutenant of the sixth division. Carefully he lifted Renji into his arms, making sure not startle the red-head and add any more pain to the man.

Jiraiya followed his previous captain's example and picked Rukia up bridal style from the cold ground.

As one all three Shinigami vanished, via shunpo. All of them were heading for the same place; Urahara's shop which was located on the other side of town.

* * *

He stared out over the vast desert, noting how truly despicable and disgusting his world truly was. There was no way he could live here any longer. He despised the endless white sand with all of his being. Turning Kimimaro gazed upon his leader and friend Uzumaki Naruto. The hollow had come to him and offered him the power to become what he was.... an Arrancar, the strongest form of the hollows. Of course he had accepted. It's not like he wanted to be ruled by a lowlife Shinigami anyway. Clenching his palms around the piece of granite in his position, crunches echoed through the empty cave. When he opened his hand where there was once a rock, only dust remained.

"Did you enjoy your night out?" Naruto snorted turning to the being situated in the shadows.

"Yes I did Shika, got to unwind a little for once."

"OHHHhhhh Naruto-Senpai, did you bring back a rock for Tobi's collection?" Kimimaro spat at the hyperactive Vasto Lorde, his disgust in plain sight.

"Why did we let him join again?" Kimimaro moved closer to Tobi a bone beginning to protrude from his wrist.

"Because he's strong," Shika stated from his shadowed corner. It had always been like this, the bone wielder mused. Shika loved the darkness. Shadows were what brought out his true potential, while in them not even the combined force of himself and Tobi could take the shadow lover on, much to his chagrin. None of them remembered anything from their past selves except their names. Not only had Naruto saved them from the manipulative Shinigami, but he had told them about their previous lives. Except for Tobi, who he had never met before, yet the annoyance had followed him like a lost puppy. Shika had been a fellow leaf shinobi alongside of Naruto, while he had been controlled by the pathetic snake who considered himself the 'God' of shinobi. Staring at the strange being known as Tobi, Kimimaro couldn't help but to see once again that there was something much darker inside of him. Maybe he was just over analyzing the hollow but it was a feeling he just couldn't seem to shake no matter how idiotic he acted.

"Yeah, but he's annoying and stupid," Kimimaro said, grabbing him by the shoulders, he pulled the orange masked hollow closer to himself, "aren't you?"

"Tobi is not stupid, Tobi's a good boy!" Tobi said defending himself against the accusations towards his intelligence. Naruto gazed curiously at his group as he liked to call them. He was friends with none of them, held no attachment that would in fact make them a burden. No they were just acquaintances who had similar goals in mind, nothing more.

"Exactly my point," The bone wielding hollow said, while nonchalantly dragging the tip of his weapon down the other hollows mask.

"Enough will be heading into Soul Society in a few days make sure you show up at Urahara's tomorrow, unless you want to stay like this forever?" All three Vasto lordes simultaneously shook their heads. "Good... I have a few last minute errands to run so I have to go." Naruto said while he walked out of the cave. "Oh and don't kill Tobi, Kimimaro." Naruto said poking his head back in as Kimimaro was strangling the poor hollow while pointing a bone sword at his jugular.

"That, I can't promise." The bone wielder said as he dragged the indestructible blade slowly down Tobi's chest. Tobi squirmed, his panicked expression covered by the hollow mask covering his face. A malicious smirk stretched across Naruto's face, "Kimimaro?" Said hollow looked up from his carving work. "Don't torture him... too much." With a nod Naruto disappeared and Kimimaro turned back to his work grinning each time the hollow let out a new girlish scream.

"Baby."

* * *

Naruto entered the small wooden shop. He headed straight for the secret basement, below the store. As he entered the endless training area he immediately spotted Urahara. It took him a few seconds to reach the man who was sitting on top of a boulder with his legs crossed and eyes closed.

"I never took you for the meditating type," the Arrancar commented offhandedly.

Kisuke propped one eye open lazily. Sighing, he stretched before leaping down from atop of the large piece of granite.

"So... what can I do for you Uzumaki-san?"

"Show it to me," Naruto responded instantly.

"I figured as much," Kisuke remarked, "very well, follow me."

* * *

Omake

Sasuke Uchiha once a proud member of one of the most prestigious clans of Konoha. Of course that was until his brother had gone insane and slaughtered his entire family save his only sibling. After that his life had been a hell with the memories of that dreadful night always replying in his mind. Even with the strongest of the shinobi villages kissing the ground he walked on, it just wasn't enough for him. His hatred and avenger tendencies had made him unstable and a threat to himself and those around him. So it wasn't really a surprise when he betrayed the village to join Orochimaru for the power needed to succeed in his endeavors.

Of course fate had made his life a living joke, so when his life was finally heading in the right direction, fate spat on him again. The loss of his eye sight had been the final straw that succeeded in breaking his mind.

Once a boy of great prestige and wealth was nothing more than a shivering and mumbling sociopath. Sasuke listened to all the noise echoing in the corridor outside of his room. For hours he had been counting the minutes down, soon she would come again, and force him to do things he didn't want to do. His head snapped up and his body started shaking more forcibly, as a shrill voice drifted to his ears.

He tried to back up further, but he was trapped within a corner of the room, with no way to escape. The door was thrown open and a red-headed beauty stepped inside of the room.

"SASUKE-KUN!" She screamed, running towards the blind teen. Tossing herself onto him she shoved his face against hers into a forceful kiss. After a few seconds she broke apart and looked longingly at him. "Do you know what time it is Sasuke-kun?"

A scream was her reply as she started unbuttoning his pants. He kicked and fought against her, but Karin easily overpowered him. With all of his clothes off, Karin quickly ripped off her own clothing. Sasuke once again tried to fend her off, but in the end she always got what she desired. As Karin raped him once again, Orochimaru stepped out from a shadowed area of the room, a smile on his face and lust in his gaze.

"Sasuke-kun," He purred into the Uchiha's ear. "I want your babies."

A passing merchant stopped from his long and tedious walking and glanced around. He could have sworn he had heard something. Being completely silent he listened for a few seconds, hearing nothing else he continued on his way. Not hearing the boy screaming rape a hundred feet below his feet

* * *

Yeah I don't know why, but that omake has been in my head for a long ass time. Well updates are going to be very slow after this chapter. Life has decided to put me through hell so until things calm down a little bit updates will be scarce. I have another announcement. I am a member of LD's forum 'The Guild' and a bunch of us myself included are doing one-shots on the members of Akatsuki and how they joined the organization. So look forward to that in the next few weeks, all of the one-shots will be posted on LD's account. I got lucky enough get Kisame for my one-shot. Until next time read and review.


	17. Sorry not a chapter

Hey Silhouette here :) I want to apologize right now to you all who read this shitty story. I've recently been going over my story Simple Survival and discovered I don't like it. Its become rather disjointed and very confusing. So I have decided to rewrite and actually plan ahead this time instead of pulling everything out of my ass. I will leave this up for now until I post the first chapter of the re-written version. Again sorry but I am very disappointed with what I have done with this story and I need to remedy this problem immediately. Thank you all for reading and being faithful to this story.


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